Alleged graft puts official in hot water

Alleged graft puts official in hot water

JAMBI: An antigraft activist urged prosecutors on Tuesday to ensure that an alleged graft case involving a top official with the Muarojambi regental government be investigated quickly and thoroughly. "We are demanding the prosecutors to probe the case as soon as possible," said Eko Putro, a spokesman for an organization calling itself the Anticorruption Movement.

Eko said that the director of the Muarojambi Public Works Office, Suprijono, had allegedly been responsible for irregularities in three projects worth Rp 788 million (US$83,829). All of the money came from last year's budget.

The projects, one of them involving the construction of a bridge, should have been completed by early this year, but this did not happen. Irregularities were also suspected regarding the selection of the contractor for the projects, with all of them being given to one contractor, CV Kenanga Indah.

"This has sparked suspicion that there was collusion between the director of the public works office and this construction company," said Eko. -- JP