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.