Prosecutors reject dossier on S.Kalimantan Governor

Prosecutors reject dossier on S.Kalimantan Governor

Yuliansyah
The Jakarta Post
Banjarmasin

South Kalimantan prosecutors refused on Monday to accept a
dossier of a police investigation into corruption charges against
Governor Sjachriel Darham, reasoning they needed President
Megawati Soekarnoputri's permission first.

The dossier contains the results of police questioning of
Sjachriel, a possible corruption suspect in a case related to the
Barito river dredging project, involving around US$20 million.

Head of the government prosecutor's office Abdul Muis Gassing
said his office could not accept the dossier without the
President's permission.

"This is in line with the Criminal Code," Abdul said.

According to South Kalimantan Police spokesman Comr. R.
Sunanto, prosecutors did not need prior permission from the
President. He did not elaborate.

The police, however, had yet to finalize their investigation
into Sjachriel and were planning to question more witnesses,
Sunanto added.

Even though Sjachriel was now a witness, he said, he could
later be declared a suspect.

That possibility depended on whether the police would expand
their investigation, with Sunanto explaining that they wanted to
examine another witness in the case. "We've just examined the
governor once, and there'll be more interrogation of the governor
to question," he said.

The corruption case implicating Governor Sjachriel marks the
latest controversy involving him after local councillors last
year unsuccessfully tried to unseat him.

Demands for his resignation have grown since early 2002, with
students claiming Sjachriel was corrupt and councillors voting to
fire him in August.

Jakarta blocked their move, dismissing the councillors' vote
as unlawful. A governor is appointed by presidential decree and
as yet President Megawati has not rescinded her decree.

But the legislators' vote of no confidence meant that
Sjachriel's administration would be working without the support
of the local legislature.

An independent team appointed to investigate demands for the
governor's ouster has yet to disclose its report.

On Monday, 14 non-governmental organizations issued a joint
statement demanding Abdul's resignation as he "no longer sided
with justice".