National Police to take over cases

BANDUNG, West Java: National Police Headquarters will likely take over from the West Java Police the investigation of possible corruption cases in the provincial administration, according to an officer.

The deputy chief of the directorate handling corruption cases, Sr. Comr. Marsudi, said the National Police planned the move because it was thought the provincial police were moving too slowly on the cases.

"We are waiting for the National Police to fulfill their promise to handle the corruption cases immediately," Wirawan, spokesman for the West Java Anti-Corruption Alliance, said after meeting with Marsudi here on Tuesday.

He said Marsudi promised to send a special team to the province to continue the investigation into the cases.

Wirawan said the provincial police were investigating 22 public officials in the province suspected of having siphoned off Rp 9 billion from the province's 2000 and 2001 budgets, but so far no suspects had been named.

He declined to elaborate on the cases because police were still investigating.

Reliable sources said the police had also been asked to investigate a decision by Governor R. Nuriana to set aside Rp 25 billion for the purchase of land for 100 provincial councillors, the alleged embezzlement of Rp 224 billion in taxes from street lighting and possible illegal payments of Rp 1 billion per year to the provincial police. --JP