The Bali Corruption Watch (BCW) is urging the Buleleng Public Prosecutors Office to declare Buleleng Regent Putu Bagiada a suspect in a corruption case centering on the regency's procurement of heavy equipment, a BCW executive said Thursday.

The corruption watchdog sent an official letter to the public prosecutors office detailing the reasons behind its recommendation. In the letter, the BCW asked the prosecutors to investigate the case thoroughly and without discrimination.

"Once again we stressed and reminded the prosecutors to not only investigate and indict the small fishes but also the big fishes," BCW chairman Putu Wirata Dwikora said.

"Failure to do so would trigger a suspicion that the prosecutors are protecting the big fishes and extending special treatment to them."

Dwikora demanded the public prosecutors office investigate the role of the regent in the case and declare him a suspect.

The BCW believes the regent played a major role in convincing the regency's acting head of Public Works Agency, Ketut Tambun, to procure a backhoe loader directly from a company and not through a public tenure as stipulated under regulations.

Ketut Tambun and two of his employees have been officially named suspects in the case. The fourth suspect is the director of CV Fajar, the company appointed by the regency to facilitate the procurement of the backhoe loader.

The regent dismissed Tambun from his position immediately after the case had become public.

The head of the Buleleng Public Prosecutors Office, Adityawarman, said his office would follow existing procedures and regulations in investigating the case.

"The follow-up investigation for this case will be based on facts disclosed by the suspects during their trial," he said.

Adityawarman said the BCW letter was a form of public support for the prosecutors' efforts to eradicate corruption in the regency.

Responding to the letter, Buleleng administration's spokesperson Gede Gunawan said the whole legal process fell under the jurisdiction of the public prosecutors office.

"The case is now under the prosecutors' authority; the regent has the utmost respect for the prosecutors office and is convinced that the prosecutors office will pursue the case in a professional manner and uphold law and justice," he said.

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