Two activists quizzed over graft criticism
Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post/Banda Aceh
Two anticorruption activists in Aceh were grilled on Tuesday by local authorities, two days after they made harsh comments over the allegedly rampant corruption in the war-torn province.
The two made the comments on Tuesday during a meeting between residents and a visiting ministerial team that included Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Adm. (ret) Widodo A.S. and high-ranking local officials, such as Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh.
Puteh was named a suspect in an ongoing case by the Corruption Eradication Commission over an alleged mark-up in the purchase of a Russian-made helicopter that caused Rp 4 billion (US$440,000) in state losses.
"To sum up, there must be something wrong in Aceh. The poverty and backwardness are apparently caused by the rampant corruption among officials in Aceh," said Akhirudin in the meeting with Teuku.
Emerging from the questioning on Thursday, activist Akhirudin, 29, described the session as normal and friendly. He and fellow activist Teuku Kamal showed up on Thursday at the Aceh civil emergency administration in accordance with a request for their presence it had filed the previous day.
"During an hour of questioning, we were asked about our earlier comment that some officials in Aceh had allegedly committed corruption. There was nothing unusual about the questioning," said Akhirudin, who was interrogated together with activist Teuku Kamal.
During the interrogation, investigators from the Aceh civil emergency administration also asked the activists about the evidence that led them to conclude upon the officials' involvement.
Aceh Civil Emergency Deputy Chief of Intelligence Sr. Comr. Rusli Saleh, who led the questioning, refused to talk to journalists afterwards.
"I am not authorized to talk to the media," he said.
The activists made their comments in the context of speaking to the ministerial team on the poverty issue that prevails in Aceh, although the province is known for being rich in natural resources.
Poverty has been on a rising trend since 2001, said Akhirudin, when those living on the edge of the poverty line comprised 20 percent of the 4 million-strong population, the figure had increased to 33.8 percent by 2002. A year later, the figure rose to 40.39 percent.
Similarly, unemployed and underemployed numbered 363,398 people two years ago, but a year later, the figure had risen to 417,930.