Puteh declared graft suspect

Puteh declared graft suspect

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta/Banda Aceh

Governor Abdullah Puteh was declared a graft suspect on Tuesday
for allegedly marking up the price of a Russian-made helicopter
the Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam administration purchased in 2002.

"We have ordered investigators to question him as a suspect.
We have summoned him and he is expected to be questioned next
week," Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean, the deputy chairman of the
powerful Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), said.

In Banda Aceh, Puteh said he would respect the due process of
the law.

"It is a process. I have heard nothing yet and I cannot
comment as I have yet to receive the summons. I will respect the
law," Puteh said.

Aceh Police are also investigating the alleged markup by the
Aceh administration on the purchase of used printing machines
valued at Rp 4.2 billion. The machines, however, are not
functioning.

Puteh's is the first major case the KPK has handled since its
establishment almost six months ago.

Tumpak said the commission had sufficient preliminary evidence
of corruption by Puteh in the purchase of the Russian-made Mi-2
PLC Rostove Mill helicopter in 2002 using money from the
provincial budget.

He said investigators had found state losses of Rp 4 billion
(US$420,000) in the purchase, but were still attempting to
determine the total amount of losses suffered by the state in the
case.

Investigators found that the Aceh administration purchased the
helicopter for Rp 12.6 billion, while the Navy had bought the
same type of helicopter for Rp 6.1 billion.

"We are still trying to get the exact figure as the helicopter
purchased by the Aceh administration has several sophisticated
devices the one bought by the Navy does not have, such as a
bullet-proof windscreen," Tumpak said.

The KPK has yet to order his suspension as governor or impose
a travel ban on Puteh, who is the head of the civil emergency
administration in Aceh.

However, Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Tuesday
the government would not take action against Puteh until there
was a verdict in his case.

"As long as there is no legally binding verdict in his case,
he is still the governor," Hari said before meeting with the
special committee of the House of Representatives in charge of
deliberating revisions to the regional autonomy law.

He also said Puteh could only be suspended with a
recommendation from the Aceh Legislative Council.

In his capacity as coordinating minister for political and
security affairs, Hari had earlier asked the KPK to "provide
sufficient time and room for Puteh to fulfill his duties as the
head of the civil emergency administration" in Aceh.

"The civil emergency administration hopes the KPK will
consider the time constraints on Abdullah Puteh in meeting the
summons ... and to provide sufficient time and room for him to
carry out his duties," Hari said in a letter, a copy of which was
made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Hasballah M. Saad, an Acehnese community leader and a member
of the National Commission on Human Rights, said on Tuesday the
President and Minister Hari must suspend Puteh from all of his
duties until the court clears him in the graft case.

"Such a suspension is necessary in order to regain the trust
of the Acehnese," Hasballah said.