Parties wait and see on graft scandal
Hasrul and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Kendari/Jakarta
Most political parties are undecided on appropriate action to take against their representatives in Kendari legislative council, Southeast Sulawesi, who have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a graft case.
Only the National Mandate Party (PAN) said it was considering the dismissal of its sole representative connected with the scam, in which the misuse of the legislative budget caused the state losses of Rp 1.2 billion (US$106,300).
Local prosecutors took 22 councillors into their custody on Friday night after questioning.
"Our stance is firm, we do not tolerate our members' involvement," Nur Alam, PAN's Southeast Sulawesi leader told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
He said his office would hold a meeting to determine the fate of its councillor Khalid Ansarullah on Monday.
Anas Bunggasi, who heads Golkar Party's provincial chapter, could not be reached for comment. Other party officials, who were contacted separately, said they would wait until the case was tried.
"It remains an allegation. They have not been found guilty yet," said a party official, who refused to be named.
Of the 22 councillors arrested, 16 are from Golkar, three from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and one each from the United Development Party (PPP), PAN and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).
In fact, 25 councillors were named suspects in the case, but the remaining three councillors, who are from the military/police faction, will be investigated by their respective commanding officers.
PDI-P councillor Thamrin Taherong accused the prosecutors of discriminating against civilian politicians.
"Why did they (prosecutors) only arrest us?" he said.
Meanwhile, council speaker Haerudin Pondiu, 76, and members Hasan Batek, 74, and Melinda Ritonga, 43 -- all from Golkar -- were hospitalized after they complained of headaches and fell unconscious during questioning.
Elsewhere, in Rantua, South Sulawesi, the prosecutor's office said it would resume its investigation of 22 councillors, who are allegedly involved in a graft case, Antara reported.
The office initially named all 25 councillors suspects in the misuse of some Rp 3 billion of the council's budget in 2002.
Council speaker Sirajuddin Noor has been sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty, while two other councillors have died. The case was suspended, pending Sirajuddin's appeal.
Meanwhile, West Nusa Tenggara leaders, including Governor Lalu Serinata, said that for the sake of the budget's deliberation and political stability ahead of the election runoff in September, 22 councillors implicated in a Rp 1.9 billion corruption case would not be dismissed.