JP/3/scene
JP/3/scene
Seminar to discuss
antigraft education
YOGYAKARTA: An interfaith coalition of religious-based
universities said it will hold a seminar here on Tuesday to
discuss war on corruption through educational courses.
The forum will specifically discuss an anticorruption
education program for university students, which has been
designed by the coalition.
Muhammadiyah chairman Ahmad Syafii Maarif, People's
Consultative Assembly speaker Hidayat Nurwahid and Minister of
Religious Affairs M. Maftuh Basyuni are scheduled to address the
one-day seminar.
Other speakers include Frans Magnis Suseno, Emanuel Gerrit
Singgih and Johar M.S.
The coalition's program manager for anticorruption education,
Isnaini Muallidin, said his side considers that antigraft
education is urgent to encourage people to say "No" to
corruption.
The coalition plans to educate people so as to avoid or fight
corruption through formal courses and religious sermons in houses
of worship, he added. --JP
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Minister-Election-Riot
JP/3/scene
Riots warned in
local elections
PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf
warned local administrations on Tuesday of possible riots during
the direct elections of governors, mayors and regents, which
would start in June next year.
"Never consider that the upcoming elections of regional chiefs
will be peaceful like the recent legislative and presidential
polls, because the possibilities of conflict are big," he told a
meeting of regents and mayors in Palembang, South Sumatra.
The minister argued that possible conflict could disrupt the
elections as local people had never elected their regents or
mayors directly under the prevailing law.
He said that during the coming elections, candidates would be
given only several days for campaigning. "The limited time could
provoke them to violate the rules of law and this will also
incite clashes," Ma'ruf added.
Data from his office showed that at least 225 regional heads,
including 11 governors, would be replaced through direct
elections between June and December. --Antara
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Release-Graft-Suspect
JP/3/scene
Ex-councillors
off the hook
CIREBON, West Java: A district court acquitted here on Monday
10 former chiefs and members of the Cirebon legislative council
of graft charges of embezzling almost Rp 1 billion (US$111,111)
of the city's 2001 budget.
The Cirebon District Court said the defendants were not proven
guilty of involvement in corruption as indicted by prosecutors,
who demanded that they be sentenced to two years' imprisonment.
The prosecutors charged the defendants, including former
council speaker Suryana and his deputies, Sunaryo HW and Haries
Sutamin, with pocketing over Rp 997 million in state funds for
personal gain.
The council earmarked Rp 1.3 billion for its operational
allowances in 2001, which the prosecutors said was against
Government Regulation No. 110/2000.
Under the ruling, Cirebon should have allocated only Rp 400
million, or 10 percent of the city's original income that reached
Rp 23 billion, for the council's operational allowances.
The former councillors had, therefore, allegedly embezzled Rp
997,768,000 of the funds that should have been returned to the
state, the prosecutors added. --JP
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Logging-Suspect-Riau
JP/4/scene
Police declare 32 suspects in illegal logging
PEKANBARU, Riau: Police said on Monday they have named 32
suspects in illegal logging cases, including six Riau forestry
officials.
They also seized eight trucks, six motor boats, 30,070 cubic
meters of wood, 11 tons of logs and fake documents, Riau Police
chief Brig. Gen. Deddy Komaruddin said.
He said the suspects were allegedly involved in illegal
logging in the regencies of Indragiri Hilir, Kampar, Tanjung Batu
and Siak.
The police chief added that his office had also questioned six
officials of the provincial forestry office over charges of
producing fake documents for other suspects.
Deddy said the police would continue forest patrols in those
regencies until Dec. 30. --JP
West Java delays
announcing test results
BANDUNG, West Java: The West Java administration delayed on
Monday announcing the results of admission tests for various
positions in local government offices.
West Java administration spokesman Daud Ahmad said the delay
was due to the rejection of the grading system adopted by the
central government, by all mayors and regents in the province.
According to them, the grading system -- whereby participants'
scores are not made available and they are only marked as passing
or failing -- could spark protests, Daud said.
He said the local mayors and regents would ask the central
government to directly announce the test results of the more than
170,000 participants in West Java.
Daud appealed to the participants to be patient as they would
be notified of their performances no later than Dec. 30. --JP