Law on Riau Islands not yet in effect: Minister

Law on Riau Islands not yet in effect: Minister

Haidir Anwar Tandjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno asserts that the law on the
formation of Riau Islands province which was endorsed by the
House of Representatives on Sept. 24, 2002, has not come into
effect yet as there has been no presidential decree or government
regulation to enforce it.

"The Riau Islands remains an integral part of Riau province,
both administratively and legally, since President Megawati
Soekarnoputri has not issued a decree and regulations to enforce
the law," he said during his visit here on Saturday.

Hari was responding to Riau's increasing objection to the law
and the increasing call for a thorough investigation into Riau
Islands Regent Huzrin Hood who has been accused of misusing Rp 87
billion of the regency's 2001 budget to buy political support
from local figures and politicians at the House for the formation
of the new province.

The bill on the new province's formation was proposed by the
House, instead of the government, using its right to initiate a
bill.

Both the provincial administration and the legislative council
have opposed the new province's formation because besides
Natuna's objection, the four regencies -- the three others are
Batam, Riau Islands and Tanjungbalai Karimun -- are not
considered ready to be developed into a new province at present.

The Natuna administration has urged the central government to
revise the law to exclude the resources-rich regency from the new
province.

"If you want to amend the law, please do it through the
House," Antara quoted Hari as saying.

Meanwhile, an inquiry team of the government prosecutor's
office has been unable to investigate Huzrin although they have
delivered three summonses to the suspect.

Antasari Azhar, deputy chief of the government prosecutor's
office in the city, said the suspect had failed to answer the
three summonses because he was busy in his daily tasks and on an
important trip to Jakarta.

He said his team would not send a fourth summons because it
would be against the law and they would wait for the suspect's
presence for interrogation.

"We will take him by force to undergo interrogation if he
fails to show up within 30 days," he said, adding that his team
would bring the case to court as soon as possible.

Antasari said his team had collected material evidence and
questioned 20 witnesses about the misappropriation of the budget
funds.

Hendie Devitra, a member of Huzrin's legal team, said he would
cooperate with Antasari's team to bring his client to undergo
interrogation.

He denied that his client was pretending to be busy to buy
time, saying: "We're seeking an appropriate time for our client
to undergo interrogation."

Miswardi, director of the Pekanbaru Legal Aid Institute, said
the prosecutors had the authority to arrest Huzrin since they had
adequate evidence to do so.

"The prosecutors should use force to investigate the suspect
since they have delivered three consecutive summonses," he said.