Eight more councils face graft probes
Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, Padang
After helping jail almost all members of the West Sumatra legislative council for corruption, prosecutors here are currently investigating new graft scams in at least eight regental and municipal councils.
Around 100 councillors have been named as suspects in the scandals over the misuse of budgets, and more than 50 others are being questioned as witnesses.
West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office head Muchtar Arifin has said at least 23 of the 45 Padang municipal council members are being tried for allegedly embezzling Rp 10.4 billion (US$1.15 million).
The remaining 22 councillors await similar trials after their case files were forwarded to the Padang District Court.
They were also accused of misusing 900 plane tickets for official trips for personal gains
Seven other councils also plagued by graft are those in Sawahlunto Sijunjung, Pesisir Selatan, Payakumbuh, Solok City, Padang Pariaman, Tanah Datar and Solok regency.
At least 31 of the 35 Sawahlunto Sijunjung council members, including their three leaders, were charged with misusing Rp 1.2 billion from the regency's 2002 budget. The prosecution is completing their case files.
The council's speaker and his two deputies have been detained at Muara Padang prison since June 29. "They are being held to assist the investigations," Muchtar said on Wednesday.
He said Pesisir Selatan council speaker Zamzami was also declared a suspect for allegedly receiving a double salary, both as a councillor and a teacher at the State Islamic Senior High School (MAN) in Painan.
For the corruption scam worth Rp 350 million at the Payakumbuh municipal council, 23 of 26 members are suspects. Its speaker, Chin Star, was arrested on June 2 by the West Sumatra Police, who are investigating the matter.
Prosecutors are also questioning all 20 Solok municipal council members as witnesses in an alleged markup in a bus terminal construction project that may cost the state Rp 900 million in losses. A key suspect is the director of a private development firm.
Also, all 40 members of the Solok regental council face another graft investigation as witnesses. They could be charged with manipulating a report on funds allocated for an official trip to the West Nusa Tenggara capital of Mataram in April 2003.
The trip took only two days but the council's accountability report said the visit lasted 10 days.
"The trip was also participated in by 20 journalists, 10 government officials and staff members of the council secretariat," Muchtar said.
He said his office was also looking into a Rp 193 million corruption allegation at Tanah Datar regental council and another corruption scam at Padang Pariaman council.
However, no suspects have been named, as investigations continue.
In May, Padang District Court jailed more than three-quarters of the West Sumatra council for between two years and 27 months for graft amounting to Rp 5.9 billion, but the convicts remain free, pending appeals.
The conviction was part of a flurry of investigations into graft across Indonesia, which the Transparency International watchdog group says is one of the world's most graft-prone countries.
Legal authorities have denied the move was aimed at boosting President Megawati Soekarnoputri's image as she is contesting the July 5 presidential election. She has widely been criticized for doing little to combat unchecked corruption.
The Attorney General's Office reported recently the number of legislators implicated in corruption cases nationwide had increased from 270 in May to 300 in June.