Prosecutors seize 1.3b from witness

Prosecutors seize 1.3b from witness

JAKARTA: The Central Jakarta Prosecutor's Office has
confiscated Rp 1.3 billion (US$142,000), allegedly part of a Rp
15 billion foreign loan, misappropriated from a project conducted
by the Ministry of Religion Affairs, an official said on
Wednesday.

The Attorney General's Office spokesman Barman Zahir said the
money was seized from a witness, whose name is being withheld,
who is believed to be involved in a construction project of an
Islamic boarding school.

The Rp 59 billion project was funded by the Asian Development
Bank, he told reporters.

The investigators have named a staffer at the ministry,
Tarmizi, a suspect in the case. So far 20 people have been
interrogated in the case, which was submitted by the office of
the State Ministry for Administrative Reforms.

Barman further said that 10 people had also been interrogated
in connection with another corruption case at the ministry which
had allegedly caused Rp 24 billion in losses to the state. -- JP