Nuriana grilled over alleged graft

BANDUNG (JP): The West Java Provincial Prosecutors' Office started questioning governor R. Nuriana on Friday over alleged corruption involving a total of more than Rp 38 billion in state funds.

Prosecutor for special crime Mohamad Amary told reporters that the governor was interrogated over several embezzlement cases, including street illumination taxes, the purchase of tents for official ceremonies, the exchange of the province's assets and the building of Al-Ihsan Foundation Hospital.

But during closed-door questioning which lasted three and a half hours, the interrogators questioned him over two cases, the street illumination taxes and the purchase of tenders.

"Questioning over three other cases will take place between Jan. 23 and Feb. 3," said Amary.

"We are now questioning him as a witness, but if we find legal evidence of his involvement in these cases, it is possible for him to be questioned as a suspect," Amary said.

According to Amary the street illumination tax case involved a total of Rp 38.2 billion, while the purchase of tenders involved only Rp 254 million.

The first group of prosecutors, led by prosecutor Romli Achfa asked Nuriana 52 questions regarding the illumination taxes, while another team led by prosecutor Wahyu Wiriadinata asked Nuriana 19 questions regarding the purchase of tenders.

The 1962 graduate of the then National Military Academy, Nuriana, was accompanied by Eha Djulaeha, the head of the legal department at the gubernatorial office.

The Prosecutors' Office had been waiting for President Abdurrahman Wahid's approval to question the governor. The President issued the approval only on Jan. 17, 2001.

Amary said that all the questions were focused on Nuriana's policies on the alleged swindles.

According to the prosecutor, the money collected from the street illumination taxes between 1992-1996 had been improperly used, instead of being deposited in the provincial account. While in 1997, the governor allegedly appointed a certain firm to supply the tenders for official ceremonies. "An open tender should have been offered to the public for such a costly project," said Amary said.

So far, as many as eight former West Java administration officials have been named suspects in alleged corruption cases. One of the suspects is former deputy governor Ukman Sutaryan. (25/sur)