180 councillors named graft suspects

JAKARTA: At least 180 members of regional legislatures in 18 provinces across the country have been named suspects in corruption cases, it was announced on Wednesday.

Kemas Yahya Rahman, the spokesman of the Attorney General's Office, said that number was expected to rise because the office had yet to receive data from 12 more provincial prosecutor's office.

"Most of them (suspects) have been charged with violating government decree No. 110/2002 on regional budgets," Kemas said at his office.

Of the suspects, 117 are from West Sumatra, 22 from Central Java, 13 from West Java and 10 from Riau.

Corruption watchdogs have repeatedly bemoaned corruption in the country, which not only involves the bureaucracy but also legislative bodies and the judiciary. -- JP