Kampar councillors interrogated over embezzlement
Kampar councillors interrogated over embezzlement
Puji Santoso and Andi Hajramurni, Pekanbaru/Makassar
The Riau Prosecutors' Office began questioning on Wednesday
Kampar councillors over embezzling Rp 1.125 billion (US$118,421)
from the regental budget.
As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, four of 43 councillors charged with
corruption had been interrogated: deputy speaker Imran Djon,
council secretary Zunidah and councillors Arifin B.S. and
Mardanus.
Prosecutors will also question Zulher, secretary of the Kampar
regental administration, in connection with the case.
Riau Prosecutors' Office head Zainuddin Zahasi said on
Wednesday the questioning was prompted by reports from non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) that 43 of the regency's 45
councillors had received Rp 1.125 billion in "severance pay" from
the regental budget. Only two councillors refused to accept the
payment.
The NGOs accused the councillors of corruption, as severance
pay for councillors is not included in any government
regulations, said Zainuddin.
He added that some councillors had returned the money after
the NGOs demanded law enforcers to investigate the case.
"However, we will continue with the case. Besides, the damage
has already been done," he said.
The Riau case comes amid a spate of similar investigations
across the country into councillors suspected of graft, including
those of the West Java, South Sulawesi and West Sumatra
provincial councils.
In the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, the provincial
police chief said on Wednesday that, despite public demand,
police were not yet able to question councillors in connection
with a corruption case due to technical reasons.
"The Minister of Home Affairs has yet to grant us permission
to question those councillors allegedly involved in embezzling
from the provincial budget," said South Sulawesi Police chief
Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf.
Saleh said the request for the minister's permission had been
sent a week ago, and the official go-ahead was expected soon.
Earlier, police had questioned as witnesses six government
officials and Bastian Lubis, a scholar who uncovered the
corruption allegedly committed by South Sulawesi councillors.
The corruption case, centering on budgetary allocation for
councillors, was brought to light last month in a report filed
with the South Sulawesi Prosecutors' Office by Bastian.
Bastian reported that the establishment of council budget had
violated a government decree on funding for civil servants and
councillors. Among the decree's stipulations is an article ruling
that councillors are not to be provided an allowance drawn from
provincial revenues.
The South Sulawesi council budget shows an allocation of Rp
18.32 billion (US$1.9 million) as allowance for its 75
councillors.