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

;JP;NFK; ANPAa..r.. 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

;JP;NFK;Cd; ANPAa..r.. 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

;JP;KHS; ANPAa..r.. 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