Regent quizzed for 10 hours over graft<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Kendari, Cirebon\/Pekanbaru<\/p>\n
Corruption suspect Konawe Regent Lukman Abunawas was questioned
\nfor 10 hours on Tuesday by Southeast Sulawesi prosecutors over
\nhis connection with two cases of fraud worth Rp 2 billion
\n(US$222,000).<\/p>\n
Lukman arrived at the prosecutor's office at about 8:30 a.m.
\nin his official car. The closed-door session ended at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
The regent was accompanied by lawyers Abu Hanifa Pahege and
\nAbidin Ramli and at least 11 bodyguards.<\/p>\n
As Lukman was taken into an interrogation room, several
\ndistrict chiefs and 150 village heads in Konawe arrived at the
\nprosecutor's office to lend him \"moral support\".<\/p>\n
\"Whatever happens to Pak Lukman, he is my superior,\" Sampara
\ndistrict head Nurlan told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The presence of the district and village chiefs followed
\nrumors that the regent would be detained directly after Tuesday's
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
No move was made to detain him and Lukman remains free.<\/p>\n
Dozens of police officers provided a guard inside the office
\nto prevent a possible disturbance during the questioning.<\/p>\n
Local chief prosecutor I Wayan Suarta declined to comment on
\nthe probe. \"Give us time to question him (Lukman). We cannot give
\nyou any statement,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors summoned the regent after obtaining two
\npermission letters from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in
\nNovember and December respectively.<\/p>\n
Lukman is accused of illegally approving the disbursement of
\nRp 2 billion in severance payouts to 25 members of the regional
\nlegislative council.<\/p>\n
The former councillors allegedly received payments of at least
\nRp 50 million each, with senior officials pocketing much more. At
\nleast three of the councillors have returned the money.<\/p>\n
Lukman also faces another corruption charge of misusing more
\nthan Rp 200 million from an education aid fund.<\/p>\n
Separately, all 45 former members of West Java's Indramayu
\nlegislative council would soon be questioned about systematic
\nstealing that had cost the local government Rp 5.3 billion, local
\nprosecutors said.<\/p>\n
Indramayu Prosecutor's Office head Pardan Rachim said he would
\nsoon summon all 45 former councillors in the regency and question
\nthem about money misappropriated from Indramayu's budgets from
\n2001 to 2003.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors would continue to collect evidence from inside the
\nlocal administration before questioning the councillors, Pardan
\nsaid. He could not say when the questioning would start.<\/p>\n
They had earlier spoken to regency finance head Sri
\nWulaningsih and council secretary Srie Indrawati as witnesses in
\nthe case.<\/p>\n
The plan to summon the councillors followed recent
\ndemonstrations by students and activists who demanded a thorough
\ninvestigation into corruption in the council.<\/p>\n
In Pekanbaru on Tuesday, prosecutors spoke to nine farmers
\nfrom Kampar as witnesses about the misuse of up to 70 percent of
\nRp 5.4 billion in funds allocated to an agribusiness project.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the prosecutors officially named a project
\ncoordinator and another senior official of the Kampar forestry
\noffice as suspects in the case.<\/p>\n
The questioning of the nine farmers was aimed at finding more
\nevidence, prosecutors' spokesman Enita Menhar said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/regent-quizzed-for-10-hours-over-graft-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}