Kendari councillors put under city arrest in corruption case

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.