Mentawai official a graft suspect

PADANG, West Sumatra: Prosecutors here have named Roy Tjahjoko, head of the resettlement and regional infrastructure office in Mentawai Islands regency, as a suspect in a graft case in connection with the creation of a website for the local administration.

West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office head Antasari Azhar said Roy led a working unit in the website project worth Rp 1.95 billion (US$190,000) when he served as the regency's development planning agency head until the end of 2004.

"Roy is suspected of being a key player in the case," Antasari said on Saturday. "We are preparing to summons him for questioning soon."

The chief prosecutor said the number of suspects in the www.mentawaionline.com project could increase as the investigation continued into at least 11 witnesses.

Antasari said investigators had seized only Rp 25 million in connection with the case and a number of documents including that on working contracts. --JP