Two officials named graft suspects

Two officials named graft suspects

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The West Jakarta Prosecutor's Office has named two top officials
of the area's Parks Office suspects in a corruption case worth Rp
1.4 billion (US$155,555.56).

"We are completing their case files this evening so we can
continue further questioning," prosecutor Joko Yuhono told The
Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Joko named both suspects as former parks office head Harun Al
Rasyid and incumbent head Sri Budi Setiati.

"They have allegedly enriched themselves by stealing funds
allocated for the development of parks in districts in West
Jakarta in 2003," he said.

Joko said there was evidence the suspects had repeatedly
stolen from the Rp 3 billion fund from January to December last
year.

"We allege Harun was involved in the thefts from January to
July, while Sri continued the graft from August to December," he
said.

The office has ranked Jakarta as the third-most corrupt
administration after East and West Java. However, no officials
from the city administration have yet been taken to court.

An activist from a corruption watchdog, Amir Hamzah, urged
prosecutors to be more serious in following up corruption cases
implicating city officials.

"The (prosecutor's) office must prove its seriousness by
bringing the perpetrators to court," he said.

Earlier this year, city police summoned officials from the
City Public Works Agency as witnesses in a Rp 1.3 billion graft
case involving a city councillor from the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

That case appears to have stalled.