Sahid remains in detention

BOGOR: The prosecutor's office extended on Tuesday the detention of deputy mayor M. Sahid for another 40 days, as the investigation was still continuing over his involvement in an alleged misuse of Rp 5.5 billion (US$597,826) of the council budget in 2002 when he was the council speaker.

Top prosecutor Kornelis Lere said the investigators had collected enough evidence to name more former councillors -- initially questioned as witnesses -- as suspects.

"We will announce the names of the new suspects in the next few days ... we found that there is also another suspected misuse of Rp 1.3 billion of the council's revised budget in 2002," Kornelis said. -- JP