Governor to answer graft questions

JAKARTA: Governor Sutiyoso is scheduled to answer a Jakarta Prosecutor's Office summons on Wednesday in connection with a controversial foreign trip taken by several city officials and councillors.

The affair has since been dubbed "Ancolgate".

The summons was received by the city administration on Monday.

"The governor will go to the prosecutor's office when he can fit it into his schedule," said administration spokesman Muhayat.

Sutiyoso had agreed earlier to be a witness in the case.

The scandal revolves around "comparative studies" undertaken by several city officials and 15 councillors in Japan, South Korea and Australia, which cost the city Rp 54 million and the city-owned PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol US$5000.

The prosecutors office has named councillors Tarmidi Suhardjo and Tarmidi Edi Suwarno of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Ali Imron Hussein of the United Development Party suspects as they took money for the trip without actually joining it. -- JP