Prosecutor's office seizes 20 more motorcycles from Golkar

Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Kuningan

The prosecutor's office in Kuningan, West Java, seized 20 more motorcycles from local branches of the Golkar Party in connection with a Rp 3.4 billion corruption case involving M. Misbach, the regent of Sumedang.

The Suzuki R-100 motorcycles were confiscated from the party's local staff. The prosecutor's office seized last month 90 out of 685 motorcycles allegedly purchased from funds embezzled by Misbach from West Java's 1996-1997 budget.

The embezzlement which is being investigated by West Java Prosecutor's Office, was allegedly committed by Misbach when he was chief of the program planning bureau at the secretariat of the provincial administration. So far, some 50 witnesses from the provincial administration and the provincial chapter of Golkar have been questioned over the case.

Ruhita Effendi, chief of Kuningan Prosecutor's Office, said here on Monday that his office would continue to search for more than 500 other motorcycles to be seized as evidence.

"Most of the seized motorcycles are in poor condition while the more than 500 motorcycles being sought are believed to be being used in subdistricts in the province and Banten," he said.

Enuy Marsuni, chairman of Kuningan's Golkar branch, confirmed the seizure and said he had no objection to it as long as it was part of the investigation.

"We are ready to cooperate with the local prosecutor's office to carry out the corruption investigation," he said.

Meanwhile, Agung Laksono, deputy chairman of Golkar, said the party's central board would prepare professional lawyers to accompany Misbach in the case because he was a good party member in the province.

Agung also denied Misbach was involved in the corruption case, saying the motorcycles were purchased using money given by the party to support the province.

"We don't want the prosecutor's office to politicize the case," he said.

Golkar Chairman Akbar Tandjung is being tried on corruption charges in Jakarta in line with the alleged misuse of Rp 40 billion from the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) when he was minister/state secretary in former president B.J. Habibie's Cabinet in 1998. Some of the funds were allegedly used by Golkar in the 1999 general election.