National Police to take over cases

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