Depok graft suspects dodge summons
Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Two suspects of an alleged Rp 9 billion (US$100,000) graft case involving Depok Council members managed to dodge their second police summons on Friday.
This time, the military members argued the police had no right to question them.
Lt. Col. Saliman Mireja and Lt. Col. (ret) Ali Sumaris Sudamasa, former Depok councillors for the 1999-2004 period, are among 22 suspects named in the case.
For no clear reason, the two failed to appear after their first summons on Sept. 14. Another suspect, former councillor Manahan Erwin Limbong, who was also a no-show that day, explained that he was recovering from a stroke.
Head of Jakarta Police's anticorruption division Adj. Sr. Comr. Anton Wahono said on Friday that Saliman Mireja's lawyer had told the police that his client preferred to be questioned by his military superiors.
"We will let the superiors of the suspect take necessary measures ... We won't summons him again," he added.
Anton said the other suspect was actually a retired officer but, through the same lawyer, he had argued that he was an active military officer at the time in question.
"Obviously, there are differences in how we look into this matter. So we have delayed the questioning of him until after the Sept. 20 election," he said.
Anton added the police would not send a final third summons but use force to take the suspect to the police headquarters for questioning.
According to Criminal Court procedures, the police are authorized to use force if a suspect fails to show up after being summoned twice.
In its preliminary investigation, the Jakarta Police named 22 suspects who allegedly schemed to misuse the council's 2002 budget for their personal expenses.
The case involved all 45 council members and the council secretary.
The police detained 19 suspects; seven since Sept. 6 and 12 since Sept. 14.
One of the detained suspects is military officer Lt. Col. (ret) Moch. Amin.
Each of the 45 Council members and the secretary allegedly received Rp 83 million to cover, among other things, their life insurance premiums, property loans, private car maintenance and gasoline.