Ten questioned in Peruri case
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
At least 10 people have been questioned as witness in an alleged Rp 2.3 billion (US$242 million) corruption scam at the state security printer, Peruri, a police officer said on Wednesday.
The chief of the city police's special crimes unit, Sr. Comr. Syahrul Mamma, said that among the witnesses were Peruri employees and officials from the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP).
"We have recently questioned three Peruri directors as suspects in the case ... We have found strong prima facie evidence based on the interrogation. But we will continue to gather more evidence and get more witnesses to complete the investigation," he explained.
The investigation started earlier this month with the police naming the company's president director, M. Koesnan Martono, logistics director Marlan Arif, and marketing director Suparman, as suspects in the graft case.
The police said that the three were involved in embezzling part of the Rp 5.9 billion profit made by the company in 1999/2000.
Police investigators said that on the orders of then managing director Suparman, Marlan Arif withdrew Rp 4.175 billion in July 2000 to be distributed among employees as a bonus and deposited the remaining Rp 1.7 billion in a bank account for the use of the directors as an "operational fund".
With interest, this sum grew to Rp 2.3 billion over three years.
Last year, Koesnan ordered that the money be paid into the company's social and education funds.
It was claimed that the money would be used to build a mosque and school, but police investigators discovered that these had never been built.
The police said they would charge the suspects under Law No. 28/1999 on corruption, which carries a maximum punishment of 12 years in jail, as well as with embezzlement under Articles 372 and 374 of the Criminal Code, which provide for a maximum sentence of five 0years in prison.
Asked why the police had not immediately detained the three directors, Syahrul said that more evidence was needed.
"We will wait until we make more progress in the investigation. Right now, we are concentrating on gathering more evidence," he said.
According to the law, the police may detain a suspect if he or she is charged with an offense that carries five or more years in prison, provided that they have reasonable grounds for believing that the suspect might abscond, tamper with evidence or attempt to get at witnesses.