Kendari councillors put under city arrest in corruption case

Hasrul and Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Kendari/Medan

Bowing to pressure from councillors, the Kendari Prosecutor's Office released on Tuesday the 22 councillors named graft suspects from a local prison and placed them under city arrest.

The change in their detention status was executed and announced only a day after the lawyer of the suspects, Abdul Rachman, proposed the change to the prosecutor's office.

The move also comes following a recent threat from eight councillors, who were reelected in the April 5 election and set to be inaugurated on Wednesday, that they would boycott the inauguration ceremony if they and their colleagues were in jail.

Two other councillors of the military/police faction, who had been detained since Saturday over the same case at the military police headquarters in Kendari, the capital of Southeast Sulawesi, were also affected by the altered detention status. As with the other councillors, the two can move freely within the city while their cases are being tried.

Abdul said the city arrest was granted by the prosecutor's office after two prominent Kendari figures -- Tumbo Saranani, head of the Kendari General Elections Commission, and local community figure Hosein Effendy -- guaranteed that the suspects would not flee the city.

The release of the councillors from prison attracted the attention of journalists, Kendari officials and residents.

Shortly before the councillors were let out of Punggolaka Prison on Tuesday, they were visited by a group of senior Kendari officials: Kendari Mayor Masyhur Masie Abunawas, deputy mayor Andi Muzakkir Mustafa, Kendari prosecutor's office head Yayan Hartawan and prison warden Bakri Taba.

In the afternoon, the graft suspects were transferred from the prison to their respective homes in cars belonging to the Kendari municipal council. The suspects covered their faces with sarongs as they were escorted to the cars.

Southeast Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office head Antasari Azhar said the change in detention status was lawful.

The Southeast Sulawesi office had approved the city arrest following the proposal submitted by their lawyer and endorsed by prominent local figures, he said, and that the decision was based on the belief that the councillors would not flee the city.

Under city arrest, the councillors are obliged to report to the Kendari prosecutor's office on Monday and Thursday each week, he added.

The councillors have been charged for their roles in an alleged Rp 1.2 billion (US$127,659) embezzlement of the 2003 Kendari Council budget.

Meanwhile, the Simalungun Prosecutor's Office sent a letter on Tuesday to North Sumatra Governor T. Rizal Nurdin for his permission to allow prosecutors to question Simalungun Council speaker Sahmidun Saragih.

Sahmidun was named a suspect in a Rp 4 billion (US$425,531) graft case after prosecutors questioned eight witnesses on the 2001 and 2002 council budget.