Official arrested for alleged fraud

BANDUNG: The Bandung Prosecutor's Office has arrested a former official of the Ministry of Communication, Ryanto Utomo (43), over funds of Rp 225 million he allegedly swindled in the Husein Sastranegara Airport development project in 1995/1996, an official said on Tuesday.

Head of the prosecutor's office, Marwan Effendi, told reporters that Ryanto was taken by force from Pontianak in West Kalimantan where he now chairs the Technical Support Section at the West Kalimantan office of the Communication Ministry.

"We have sent him three summonses, but he always has excuses for not coming to our office for questioning," Marwan said, while adding that Ryanto was currently under the office's custody.

Ryanto is being accused of swindling the money, which should have been paid to the owners of the 1,200-square-meters of land, used as the construction site of the project. Ryanto was the chief of the construction project between 1995 and 1996.

Marwan said he was optimistic that the prosecutors would win the case.

"We are even sure that the total amount of money which Ryanto Utomo has stolen is more than Rp 225 million," he added. (25/44)