Parties wait and see on graft scandal

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.