Seven Depok councillors detained<\/p>\n
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Police detained seven former Depok councillors on
\nMonday afternoon on graft charges.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono confirmed that the
\nthe councillors had been taken into custody at 8:45 p.m.
\nfollowing their questioning earlier.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the afternoon, city police anticorruption chief
\nAdj. Sr. Comr. Anton Wahono said that the police had \"had strong
\nevidence of their involvement in graft.\"<\/p>\n
Six of the suspects -- former Depok Council chairman Sutadi,
\nformer deputy chairman Naming D. Bothin, former deputy chairman
\nHasbullah R., former budget committee head Bambang Sutopo, former
\nbudget committee secretary Bambang Prihanto, and former council
\nsecretary Endang Rukana -- arrived at city police headquarters at
\n10 a.m. and underwent several hours of questioning by
\ninvestigators.<\/p>\n
Another suspect, former council deputy chairman Lt. Col. (ret)
\nMoch. Amin, arrived at 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
The seven are suspected of masterminding collective graft in
\n2002 by all 45 members of the Depok Council, who served from 1999
\nto 2004. Their term ended on Sept. 3 and they were named suspects
\non Aug. 31.<\/p>\n
Anton said the police had strong evidence that all 45 of the
\nformer councillors misused the budget for their private
\ninterests, adding that police were preparing to name of the
\nformer councillors as suspects.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have to question all 45 of the former councillors
\nbecause it will take all of our time,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Police received graft reports from several sources in early
\nAugust. The sources said each of the councillors allegedly
\nmisappropriated at least Rp 83 million (about US$8,950) to pay
\npersonal bills, including telephone bills, electricity bills, car
\nrepair bills and life insurance premiums.<\/p>\n
The suspects will be charged under Article 2 of Law No.
\n31\/1999 on anticorruption. The offense carries a minimum of four
\nyears in jail and a maximum of life imprisonment.<\/p>\n
The graft allegation against the Depok councillors has added
\nto a growing number of collective graft cases involving city
\ncouncillors. Similar graft cases have been reported against
\ncouncils in Padang, West Sumatra and West Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>",
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