Corruption among officials plagues Aceh Singkil

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The leakage of Rp 4 billion in the Aceh Singkil administration has brought to the fore the rampant practice of corruption, collusion and nepotism in on the ongoing attempt to topple the new regency' leader.

Non-governmental organizations in the province have blamed the weak supervisory system in the administration, which they say indirectly encourages local officials to become involved in corruption and collusion.

Abdi Suka, coordinator of the Aceh Singkil Transparency Society (Matras), blamed the regent for creating a climate conducive to corruption.

He noted that among the corruption cases being criticized by NGOs and law practitioners were the recent provision of financial aid for flood victims, financial assistance for the administration from the state oil and gas company Pertamina, and cases involving central government employees and foreign parties.

"We have worked hard to bring many corruption cases to court to win locals' confidence in the local administration and to repair civil servants' badly tarnished image," he said in Singkil recently.

Aceh Singkil, which borders West Aceh and Southeast Aceh, became a regency in 1999. Of the more than 122,000 population in 11 subdistricts, 55,000 still live below the poverty line. The unemployment rate has reached 10,000.

"To fight corruption, collusion and nepotism, all proreform organizations and individuals must work hard to bring all big- time corruptors to court," Syamsul Bahri, a lawyer in the town, said.

Antara news agency reported on Sunday that the local police had detained three people -- identified only as D SY B, the treasurer of the local administration; EP, a staff member of the local administration; and AT, deputy chairman of the Aceh Singkil regency legislative council -- in connection to financial leakages. BS, chief of the financial bureau at the local administration, is being held as a witness in the case.

AT is a relative of Aceh Singkil Regent Makmursyah Putra. The three reportedly acquired many personal assets after they were appointed to strategic positions both in the local administration and the legislature.

The case rose to the surface when the three reportedly suffered losses in the trade of foreign exchange last year.

Bahri said the regent could not wash his hands of the matter to avoid legal responsibility, and BS had been held as witness to prevent more local administration officials from being implicated in the case.

One of the three suspects said recently that they would reveal in court the names of all the people involved in the case.

Meanwhile, Regent Makmursyah has said he is ready to step down voluntarily if he is proven guilty of involvement in the case.

He said all those involved in the case should be given stiffer sanctions and dismissed from their present positions.

"He (AT) is a relative of mine but he has betrayed me and the state, so he deserves a stiff penalty," he said.

Usman Arifin, chairman of the regency legislature, called on the police and the local prosecutor's office to investigate the case thoroughly and bring all those involved to court.

"Let the court decide who are guilty," he said.