Students protest slow graft probe

CIREBON, West Java: Some 100 student activists staged a protest on Wednesday in front of the Cirebon Prosecutor's Office, condemning it for halting an investigation into the alleged corruption involving 30 Cirebon councillors and Rp 997 million of the municipal budget.

The protest also aimed to support two fellow students who had sat a hunger strike since Tuesday at the same spot.

Bahrudin, who coordinated the protest, said the students were protesting against the prosecutor's office for not handling the graft case seriously.

Cirebon Prosecutor's Office head Suraini Dahlan denied the accusation.

He claimed that the office had not halted the investigation, but had only postponed it.

"The investigation into the case has been postponed until the April 5 general election, as we fear that it could fuel tension in the municipality," she said. -- JP