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.