Sutiyoso to face questioning

Mustaqim Adamrah ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 07/02/2008 10:53 AM  |  City

The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office will question former governor Sutiyoso today as a witness in a graft case involving the procurement of vehicle tax form printing services during 1999-2004, a senior prosecutor has said.

"We'll summon him (Sutiyoso) tomorrow (Wednesday)," Muhammad Yusuf, assistant to the office's deputy for special crimes, said Tuesday.

"He has promised he will come to the office."

Sutiyoso was first summoned last Tuesday but failed to turn up because he was on a duty trip to Central Java, he said.

The former governor will be questioned over the case involving former city revenue agency head and former assistant to the city secretary for economic affairs, Deden Supriadi.

Deden was arrested on April 25, two days after his tenure as assistant ended and he was replaced by Sukri Bey. His retirement began on the day of his arrest.

Deden allegedly misused Rp 2.6 billion (US$281,690 million) in taxpayers' money by agreeing to the direct appointment of a printing company to produce tax forms when he headed up the agency, according to office spokesman Mustaming. The agreement breached a 2003 presidential decree on goods and services procurement.

Mustaming said the budget provided for printing the tax papers was higher than that in 2005, when the agency held a public tender to select a printing company.

"We know printing costs rise annually. But why was the cost so much higher during the 1999-2004 period compared with 2005?" Yusuf said.

He said the office found other printing companies were able to handle the project with similar quality to that by the appointed company.

The office has also arrested Pujo Cahyono, the owner of the printing company, Warta Kota reported Monday.

Director of Jakarta's Legal Aid Institute, Asfinawati, has said Deden may have had accomplices when giving approval.

"The office should also question, for instance, Deden's seniors or colleagues in the appointed company," she said.

City Secretary Muhayat said the administration was ready to provide legal aid for Sutiyoso.

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