Deputy mayor Sahid returns to prison

BOGOR: After five weeks under city arrest status due to health issues, Deputy Mayor M. Sahid returned to Paledang prison on Thursday, pending trial in a corruption case involving the City Council when the suspect was a speaker in 2002.

Sahid is the main suspect of the alleged misuse of a total of Rp 6 billion (US$666,667) of the Council budget.

The investigation revealed that Sahid, along with 45 other councillors, used the municipality's budget money to pay for many of their private household expenses.

"I'm not the only one who is guilty in this case," Sahid shouted while struggling to free himself from officers as they were escorting him to the prison.

Head of Bogor Prosecutor's Office, Kornelis Lere, said that the prosecutors had 20 days to submit the case to the court. -- JP