Nine big-time corruptors arrested in N. Sumatra

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

The North Sumatra High Prosecutors Office has detained nine local officials and businessmen suspected of being involved in corruption of at least Rp 5.8 billion in several regencies in the province.

Chairuman Harahap, chief of the High Prosecutors Office, said several suspects were still undergoing intensive investigation while several others were ready to be taken to the district court.

"Four of the suspects were allegedly involved in corruption at a water supply company in Dairi regency, causing Rp 528 million in material losses to the government," he told The Jakarta Post here on Saturday.

Chairuman declined to identify the four suspects but said they were the Dairi local resettlement and infrastructure office's former chief and treasurer, the project's supervisor, and the owner of the company that carried out the project.

He said his office had also detained SP, former chief of the branch of state BNI 46 Bank in Kuala Tanjung, Asahan Regency and AS, a Chinese businessman, for a fake credit worth Rp 2.93 billion.

"The two suspects' dossiers will be handed over to the district court in the regency immediately, and they are available to stand trial," he said.

He said TM, a banker in Langkat, had also been arrested for abusing several credit facilities that caused Rp 1.2 billion in material losses to the government.

"We are processing a corruption case that involves S., chief of the financial bureau at the Natal-Mandailing regency administration," he said, citing the suspect had embezzled Rp 1.2 billion from the regency administration's bank account.

He said the last suspect was HS, a member of the Toba-Samosir regency legislative council.

The legislator was allegedly involved in the corruption of a credit from state Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) to a village cooperative belonging to him.

Chairuman added that his office had established 10 teams to chase other big-time corruptors in the local administration and state-owned banks and companies in the province.

"The number of corruption suspects is expected to continue increasing as we are investigating many other cases, while reports on corruption continue to flow in from many sides," he said.

Hasrul Azwar, deputy chairman of the provincial legislative council, appreciated the steps taken by the high prosecutor's office to take big-time corruptors to court.

"The high prosecutor's office must continue its investigation into numerous corruption cases and the legislature will support enhanced cooperation with the police and judges to impose the harshest sanctions on corruptors," he said.