Riau prosecutors name Kampar Council graft suspects
Riau prosecutors name Kampar Council graft suspects
Puji Santoso, Pekanbaru
The Riau Prosecutor's Office named on Thursday all 45 councillors
at Kampar regental council as suspects in a Rp 1.125 billion
(US$118,421) corruption case.
Edward Rusmadi Putra, the deputy chief of special crimes at
the Riau Prosecutor's Office, said that the councillors were
named suspects after a series of investigations into alleged
graft over the past month. Many of the councillors were
questioned, including deputy speaker Imran Djon, council
secretary Zunidah and councillors Arifin BS and Mardanus.
"After our preliminary investigation, there is a strong
indication that they have been involved in corruption causing
losses to the state," said Edward in Pekanbaru, the capital of
Riau province.
The graft scandal surfaced after reports months ago from non-
governmental organizations (NGOs) that 43 of the regency's 45
councillors had received Rp 25 million each in gratuity payments
at the end of their terms from the regency's budget. Two
councillors initially refused to accept the money. The NGOs
accused the councillors of corruption, as gratuity payments for
councillors are not included as part of any government
regulation.
Regarding the two councillors who rejected the payment, Edward
said that they had also been named suspects, after the
prosecutors found out that they had later accepted the money.
After naming them all suspects, the prosecutor's office is now
deciding on whether to detain them.
According to the Criminal Code, the prosecutors or police are
allowed to detain suspects during the investigation phase,
including on concerns that they could flee the country.
But in many cases here, especially in corruption cases
involving high-profile government officials, the prosecutors
often allow the suspects to remain free during the investigation
phase, which often facilitates their escape.
Edward said that, after naming the councillors suspects, the
Riau Prosecutor's Office will follow through with the questioning
of more councillors, government officials and others who are may
have played a role or had further information about the high-
profile graft case.
The Kampar case comes amid a spate of similar investigations
across the country into councillors accused of corruption,
including those in South Sumatra, South Sulawesi and East
Kalimantan provincial councils.
The South Sulawesi Prosecutor's Office, for example, is
currently investigating at least 37 corruption cases that cost
the state Rp 109.6 billion (US$12.1 million) in losses.
The cases include the misuse of Rp 70 billion in loans
allocated for farmers in almost all regencies in the province.
In Palembang, the South Sumatra Prosecutor's Office is dealing
with at least 20 graft cases this year in several regencies and
municipalities. The cases included the misuse of Rp 8.7 billion
allocated for the Riding road project, with a former public works
office head named a suspect.
Meanwhile, prosecutors in East Kalimantan province have named
11 councillors and local officials suspects in 16 corruption
cases, in which Rp 24 billion was allegedly siphoned from state
coffers.
Eleven corruption cases last year allegedly deprived the state
of Rp 5.7 billion, while the money recovered only amounted to Rp
323.3 million.