JP/5/siantar
Governor questions mayor's suspension
Apriadi Gunawan The Jakarta Post Medan, North Sumatra
North Sumatra Governor Tengku Rizal Nurdin questioned on Friday Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno's decision to suspend Pematang Siantar Mayor Marim Purba, despite his acquittal from graft charges.
"I'm not saying the ministerial decree is fictitious because I have not yet received it. I will meet Pak Hari to verify the decree," Rizal told The Jakarta Post before he left for Jakarta for that purpose.
The governor denied he had recommended the suspension of Marim, but confirmed he had reported that the mayor was charged with corruption, involving Rp 700 million (US$82,352) last year.
However, the Pematang Siantar District Court acquitted Marim of all charges. Prosecutors had sought four years in prison for him in the case of the markup of the Horas market project.
"We presented the report to the home affairs minister before Marim Purba was declared free by the court," Rizal said.
He said during the meeting with Hari, he would tell him that the mayor had been acquitted of the graft charges, so that the minister could reconsider the suspension.
Under the prevailing law, a regent or mayor can be suspended from office following the recommendation of a governor.
Rizal admitted that he was yet to receive a copy of the ministerial decree suspending the mayor. Marim, who was in Jakarta on Friday, had not received the letter either.
Despite the suspension, Marim claims he remains the legitimate mayor of Pematang Siantar until he receives the decree.
Officials in Rizal's office said the mayor was suspended under Decree No. 132.22-528/2003 dated Oct. 6. It was signed by Mangala Sihite, head of the legal study center at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The decree also appointed Marin's deputy, Kurnia Rajasyah Saragih, to take charge of the Pematang Siantar administration, replacing the mayor.
The suspension was reportedly issued in a response to the North Sumatra governor's letter No. 130/7329/2003, dated Aug. 20, and a letter from leaders of the province's legislative council on May 21.
Marin, a senior politician from Golkar, recently failed to win the election of the party's leader for Pematang Siantar, a stronghold of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in North Sumatra.
PDI Perjuangan led by President Megawati Soekarnoputri is the largest faction in the city's legislative council which is chaired by a local party leader.