Legislators demand release of Suripto

JAKARTA: Twenty-five House of Representatives' legislators visited Jakarta Police Headquarters on Monday to demand the release of the former secretary-general of the forestry ministry, Suripto, who is being detained for alleged graft.

One of the legislators, Sunmanjaya of House Commission III overseeing forestry, said a petition signed by the legislators seeking Suripto's release was submitted to police.

The legislators gave police assurances that Suripto would neither run, conceal evidence or avoid answering questions.

Suripto is implicated of marking-up the costs of two helicopters purchased by the ministry.

The legislators said Suripto was innocent, saying the purchase was in line with Presidential Decree No.18/2000 on the supply of infrastructure.

Suripto's lawyer Effendi Saman said one of the choppers crashed, with insurance company PT Tugu Pratama paying the ministry a Rp 39.9 billion claim.

"This shows that the helicopters were new, not second-hand as claimed by the prosecutors," Effendi said. -- Antara