Mayor held as suspect in graft scandal

Mayor held as suspect in graft scandal

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

The local prosecutor's office said on Tuesday it has named the
mayor of Pematangsiantar in North Sumatra as a suspect in a Rp
700 million corruption scam.

Marin Purba is charged with marking up the fund for the
development project of 346 makeshift kiosks for traders whose
shops at the Horas traditional market were gutted by fire in
February.

Head of the Pematangsiantar Prosecutor's Office Abraham FL
Putong said that other suspects were two businessmen identified
only by their initials as H and JH, who were involved in the Rp
1.8 billion worth project.

Abraham said the decision to charge Marin and the two
businessmen was actually made on April 23, but his office did not
immediately make it public as it was drafting a request for a
presidential approval to question the mayor.

"To investigate the Pematangsiantar mayor, we have to obtain
permission from the President," he said.

Marin was not detained, however.

He said the dossier of the mayor will be outlined separately
from those of the other two suspects.

Abraham further said his office will summon at least 20
witnesses for questioning on May 1-3 in relation to the same
case.

The witnesses will include those involved in the construction
project, he said, adding that other suspects will be declared.

Head of the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office Chairuman
Harahap confirmed on Tuesday that he was preparing a letter
requesting an approval from President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
question the mayor.

"It is true that the letter is being made," he told The
Jakarta Post.

He said that evidence obtained by prosecutors strengthened the
suspicion that Mayor Marin was involved in the markup of the
development project, which caused Rp 700 million in losses to the
state.

Based on the result of an audit on the project, it should have
only cost Rp 865,000 but the fund to build 346 temporary kiosks
swelled to Rp 1.8 billion, added Chairuman.

He said North Sumatra's prosecutors were also seeking a
similar approval from the President to summon two other heads of
regencies in the province for questioning on separate corruption
cases.

The two in question are the Medan mayor and the Mandailing
Natal regent, he added.