Prosecutors quiz ministry official

JAKARTA: The Jakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office questioned Ministry of Transportation Secretary-General Umar Rusdi on Wednesday in connection with a corruption case involving budget funds spent on a 2003 project for the computerized administration of state revenues.

The project was administered by the ministry's Directorate General of Sea Transportation and involved the inputting of data on non-tax revenue receipts. The State Audit Agency has identified irregularities in the Rp 40 billion (US$4.16 million) project.

Umar was questioned as a witness, but provincial prosecutor's office chief Rusdi Taher said he could be named a suspect depending on the outcome of the investigation.

Prosecutors have already named Harun Letlet and Tarcisius Walla as suspects in the case. The two were jailed in another case for eight years and seven years consecutively on Tuesday.

The prosecutors have questioned the Director General of Sea Transportation Tjuk Sukardiman and will soon question the ministry's treasurer and budget director. -- Antara