Tangerang prosecutors urged to follow up BPK findings

Tangerang prosecutors urged to follow up BPK findings

Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Students and non-governmental organization (NGO) activists have
demanded that prosecutors follow up a Supreme Audit Agency (BPK)
investigation detailing Rp 24.6 billion (US$2.73 million) of
irregular spending in the Tangerang regional budget.

Tangerang Government Watch director Tonny Wismantoro said that
prosecutors should immediately arrest officials and councillors
who were allegedly involved in the misuse of the taxpayers'
money.

"It's unlikely the money could be returned as expected by the
audit agency. Therefore, the prosecutors should immediately start
investigating the case," he said on Tuesday.

The BPK report shows irregularities occurred in 14 agencies
under the Tangerang regency administration in 2004.

The agency had called for all councillors and administration
officials allegedly involved in the budget misappropriation to
return the embezzled money to city coffers within six months or
face prosecution.

The call come after students in the Tangerang Students
Association (Himata) protested outside the prosecutor's office on
Saturday.

BPK representative Burhanuddin Aritonang confirmed that his
office had examined Tangerang regency financial reports and found
alleged misappropriation that involved councillors and
administration officials.

"We have given six months for officials and councillors who
are involved in the budget misappropriation to return the money
to the local administration," he said.

"If it is impossible to recover the money back from these
councillors and officials, it will be the prosecutors' task to
start legal proceedings," he said. Copies of the BPK report were
also sent to Tangerang regency administration, the House of
Representatives and the central government, he said.

Separately, the head of the fraud division at the Tangerang
Prosecutor's Office, Anwarudin Sulistyo, said prosecutors would
follow up the BPK's findings.

Anwardin said, however, that the office would need to collect
more evidence before it could take any action.