13 councillors to be summoned

BENGKULU, South Sumatra: Government prosecutors were set to interview 13 members of the Bengkulu provincial legislative council in the near future in connection with a bribery scam.

The deputy chief of the government prosecutors office in Bengkulu, Aderan Effendi, said it had sent a letter to Bengkulu Governor Hasan Zen seeking approval to summon the councillors.

"We are pretty sure the governor will issue a permit soon as he did when he gave permission to the recent interviews of three legislators in the same case," he said here on Thursday.

The 13 councillors to be summoned are Asri Antoni, Ismandiar Ismail, Nawawi Simil, Mawardi Hasyim, Samsul Hadi, Tabrani, Rusman Efendi, Ferry Asyikin, Saikoen, Syahrul Badri, Ahmad Zarkasui, Anwar Ali and Asmiar Amir.

The three councillors already interviewed are Darmilawai, Sofyan KS and Jamali Thaib.

The investigation relates to construction company CV Abang Pramuka who allegedly paid a number of legislators to support resuming the development of 145 shops and 265 kiosks.

Earlier, the legislature had asked the executive to stop the project and wait for the legislature's approval while the project was under way. --Antara