Four year term sought for treasurer

Four year term sought for treasurer

JAMBI, Jambi: A prosecutor has recommended that a district court
here sentence a government treasurer to four years in prison for
alleged graft.

According to prosecutor Suhadi, defendant Rita Purniati was
found to have embezzled a fund used to finance a road project in
the city that caused losses to the state amounting to Rp 300
million (US$33,333).

The project was part of 13 development projects in the city
that were financed by the 2002 city budget. Overall, the projects
cost the state Rp 1.5 billion.

According to the prosecutor, Rita, a treasurer with the Public
Works Office at Jambi municipal administration, should have
disbursed Rp 300 million to a local contractor. But when the
local contractor asked for payment in 2003 after the project was
completed, Rita refused to pay on the grounds that the fund had
run out. The contractor reported the case to the police which led
to Rita's trial. -- JP