Vice regent interrogated over graft
Vice regent interrogated over graft
Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung
A team of investigators questioned the vice regent of Way Kanan,
Lampung province, on Monday on suspicion of graft involving Rp
556 million (US$62,000).
The team from the Blambangan Umpu Prosecutor's Office named
Vice Regent Marsidi Hasan a suspect in the case after
interrogating him and 12 witnesses.
Besides Marsidi, the head of the development body of the Way
Kanan administration, Haris Fadilah, and Raden Arianto, a private
sector employee, were also named as suspects in the misuse of
funds from the Medicine Procurement and Basic Health Service
Program at the local health office in 2001.
Raden Arianto was detained at the Kotabumi Penitentiary in
North Lampung for two months.
During questioning, Marsidi was asked to clarify why he
appointed the firm CV 939, which is not certified or qualified as
a medicine procurement company, to oversee the program. He was
also asked about alleged markups in the procurement of medicine
by him, in cooperation with the company.
After questioning Marsidi and other witnesses, prosecutors
concluded that the state may have suffered losses of Rp 556
million from the allotted program budget of Rp 804 million.
Marsidi told reporters that he was dumbfounded at being
interrogated as a suspect because he had never been questioned or
received any summons previously.
Regarding Haris Fadilah, prosecutors said he had been detained
for a month, but due to illness was released and treated at the
Ryacudu Hospital in Kotabumi, North Lampung, and the Abdul
Moeloek Hospital in Bandar Lampung.
The head of the Blambangan Umpu Prosecutor's Office, A. Rusydi
Nour, also said that because Raden Arianto was suffering from
depression, his status had been changed to city arrest in April.
"The investigation is not over. There are many steps to
complete, starting with questioning suspects, examinations by the
State Audit Board and questioning more witnesses," Rusydi said.
He said the misappropriated funds were from the program's 2001
added-cost budget, and that a truckload of medicine from the
health office's warehouse had been seized as evidence in the
case.
He added that the names of witnesses and a decision on the
status of the suspects would not be released because it could
hamper the examination of other witnesses. The prosecutor's
office will provide more information once the investigation is
complete, he added.
The investigation of the vice regent comes at the height of
nationwide investigations into allegedly corrupt local
governments and councillors.
Over the last several months, prosecutors in several provinces
have been investigating graft cases involving councillors and
government officials, including in West Sumatra and West Java
provinces.
In one case, the investigations resulted in a verdict by a
district court in West Sumatra that sent dozens of councillors to
jail for graft. The councillors have appealed the verdict.