Police asked to resubmit graft case against Zawawi

JAKARTA (JP): City police are to requestion Ahmad Zawawi after the prosecutor's office returned dossiers on a case accusing the former head of the city's logistics agency of corruption.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said the case would be refocused on specific charges at the behest of prosecutors.

"We'll question Pak Zawawi in detail regarding his involvement in the alleged corruption and summon more witnesses and experts to help us build a case," Noegroho said.

The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office returned the dossiers on Zawawi's case on Monday and asked the police to provide clear charges backed up with thorough evidence against the 56-year-old Army colonel.

Zawawi has been in police detention since Sept. 24 for his alleged role in the illegal issue of rice delivery orders and the unlawful export of 1,900 metric tons of rice to Sarawak in Malaysia.

Syahmardan Lubis, the head of the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, said the case constructed by police against Zawawi was lacking in eligible evidence.

"If Zawawi is accused of corruption, the police must show us what he has done wrong. If he is charged with misusing the delivery order provision, where is the regulation that he has violated?" Lubis told the media on Tuesday.

Noegroho said the prosecutor's office had requested the police to resubmit their case and include the missing details.

"We'll try to fulfill that requirement so that the case can be wrapped up as soon as possible," Noegroho said without elaborating.

The police believe Zawawi should be charged under Article 1 and Article 28 of Law No. 3/1971 on corruption and Article 1 of Law No. 11/1963, the controversial subversion law.

Zawawi, who served as the agency's head for about five months, is still in police custody.

Noegroho rejected a request for bail submitted by Zawawi's relatives.

"We need him to help us complete the dossiers on our case immediately," the officer said.

During police questioning last month, Zawawi admitted to stealing more than half of Jakarta's daily rice supply and selling it on to his business partners.

The city's estimated daily rice requirement is approximately 5,000 metric tons, but the agency consistently distributes less than 2,500 tons.

Zawawi's arrest has apparently satisfied many Jakartans who have faced difficulties purchasing rice in recent months due to its scarcity and high price.

He was replaced as the chief of Dolog Jaya by Sonny Harsono, the former head of the South Sumatra Logistics Agency. Sonny was recently accused of malfeasance in his former post.

On Tuesday, city councilor Djafar Badjeber urged the central government to reconsider Sonny's appointment in a bid to avoid a repeat of massive rice thefts from Dolog Jaya in the future.

"The city is still shocked by Zawawi's case. If the post is then given to a similar type of official, I'm afraid that the same thing will happen again and it will be the poor amongst us that suffer the most," Djafar said.

It has been reported that Sonny, a brother-in-law of Coordinating Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita, faces questioning for his alleged role in a rice scam in South Sumatra. (emf/ind)