Kampar councillors not paid for 3 months

PEKANBARU: Councillors in Riau regency of Kampar have not received their paychecks for the last three months, as regent Jefri Noer refused to release funds for their salaries.

His refusal came as the latest development in the long- standing dispute between the councillors and Jefri, who was impeached by the regental legislature several months ago for incompetence.

Jefri insisted that due to his dismissal, he was unable to release any funds from the regency's budget, even to pay for the councillors' salaries.

The councillors had sent a letter signed by deputy chief legislator Imron Joni to the Ministry of Home Affairs in regards their concerns, as they had not received their salaries since January.

Meanwhile, home affairs minister Hari Sabarno has disregarded the regent's impeachment, saying that the president was the only one with the authority to dismiss a government official. -- Antara