1. Council: 26 x 1 line
1. Council: 26 x 1 line
Former council speaker to stand trial
Former Surabaya Council Speaker M. Basuki may face 20 years in
prison for allegedy embezzling Rp 2.7 billion (about US$303,000)
in state funds, prosecutors said during the opening hearing of
his trial on Monday.
Prosecutor Udjijono said that in the period between December
2000 until March 2001, Basuki abused his position as council
speaker to embezzle money from the city's budget.
"Based on investigation results, it has become very clear that
the defendant has caused losses to the state funds amounting to
Rp 2.7 billion," Udjijono said in the charges against Basuki that
was read out during the trial.
2. Sea: 12 x 3 lines
Seven seamen
killed in
strange mishap
Six fishermen died during vain attempts to save the life of a
seventh in a bizarre tragedy aboard a trawler in North Sumatra on
Sunday.
The deaths are believed caused by toxic air in a hold filled
with rotting fish remains. Chemical poisoning has not been ruled
out.
Deputy captain of the trawler KM Deli Balai Indah, Udin, 35,
said the crew was returning home to Bagan Asahan Port, Tanjung
Balai District, from a month's fishing in Riau when the accident
occurred.
The seven dead crew members were identified as Udin, 25, Budi,
19, Erwin, 22, Taat Agung, 19, Tino, 19, Sjahril, 22, and Butang
alias Muin, 27.
3. Papua: 24 x 2 lines
Papua allocates Rp 2.6t
for development projects
The Papuan administration has allocated Rp 2.6 trillion (US$295
million) for the funding of 848 construction projects, all of
which must be completed during the remaining eight months of this
fiscal year.
Of this figure, the central government contributed Rp 1.3
trillion, which will be used mostly for projects designed to
improve transportation infrastructure, education, social welfare
and agriculture.
The rest of the development budget will be financed out of
provincial revenue, and will be used to finance 720 projects,
mostly in the education, health and poverty eradication sectors.
Papua received only Rp 851 million for its development budget
from the central government last year, with the rest of the
budget being financed by Rp 1.25 trillion in own-source revenues.