Six Lampung councillors charged with graft

Six Lampung councillors charged with graft

Oyos Saroso HN, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung, Lampung

Prosecutors have named at least six members of the Bandarlampung
legislative council in Lampung province as suspects in a Rp 3.8
billion (US$447,058) corruption case.

The suspects are councillors who served as members of the
council's committee that drafted the 2001, 2002 and 2003 budgets,
from which the funds were misused.

The councillors were identified by their initials only: M.E.,
I.A.M., MZ, P., ARJ and GRK.

"The council members have been declared suspects because they
were part of the budget drafting committee. They played a key
role in misusing the budget," deputy head of the Lampung
Prosecutor's Office Darmono said on Friday.

He did not rule out the possibility that the number of
suspects would increase.

The Rp 3.8 billion fund had been allocated for health care, a
housing project for state officials and allowances for factions
in the council.

"The fund for health programs should have been given in the
form of insurance, but the suspects disbursed it in cash; the
fund for the housing project should have been given only to the
council speaker and his deputy, but the suspects disbursed it to
all councillors," Darmono said.

He said the allowance fund for the factions was also misused,
as the suspects had distributed it to every councillor.

"Most of the irregularities happened with the 2002 budget, but
we cannot give you details yet, as the investigation is still
underway," he said.

He said his office was coordinating with the Development
Finance Comptroller (BPKP) in the investigation. "We need data
from the BPKP to verify whether our data on the irregularities is
valid."

No councillor would comment on the charges against their six
fellow councillors.

"We have agreed that only the Council Speaker has the right to
comment," said Efan Tolani, a councillor from the Justice Party.

Chief councillor Djumahir H.S. said he was waiting for the
results of the prosecutors' investigation. "For sure, we will not
evade our responsibilities," he said.

Darmono said his office had filed a request with the Lampung
caretaker governor, home minister Hari Sabarno, for his
permission to question the councillors as suspects.

If the investigation shows evidence proving their involvement
in the graft case, the suspects would be detained, he added.

In a separate case, Darsono's office has also named three
members of the Lampung provincial legislative council for their
alleged involvement in the misuse of around Rp 19.5 billion from
the 2001-2002 budget.

The charges were announced on June 9, 2003, but the
investigations into these suspects remain on hold, as the
prosecutors had yet to receive permission from the home minister
to summon them.

The three councillors are: Abdul Azib Zanim, Tan Gatot
Mahawisnu and Fauzi Saleh.