Cilacap regent named suspect in graft case

Agus Maryono and Andi Hajramurni ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Cilacap, Makassar   |  Thu, 04/23/2009 2:01 PM  |  The Archipelago

The Central Java Prosecutor's Office has officially named Cilacap Regent Probo Yulastoro a suspect in a Rp 1.6 billion (US$145,000) graft case involving the Tanjung Intan Port administration, chief prosecutor Winerdy Darwis said Tuesday in Semarang.

However, Yulastoro's whereabouts are unknown and his cell phone is unreachable since Tuesday. Officials at the Cilacap administration have also declined to comment on his whereabouts. Regency spokesman Aris Munandar and regency secretary Suprihono could not be reached for confirmation, and no one answered the phone at the regent's residence.

"I think an insider leaked the case. Why else would a case that took place in 2004 be disclosed only now?" said Cilacap administration official Ansor Basuki.

He added the situation at the office had grown tense lately due to a glut of corruption cases involving high-ranking officials.

Yulastoro is reportedly implicated in four graft cases, one involving him directly and the rest indirectly, revolving around the regency budget. The case that directly implicates him is the alleged misappropriation of contribution funds from Tanjung Intan Port worth Rp 1.6 billion.

Based on investigations by the prosecutor's office, funds that should have been deposited into the administration's account were in fact been placed into Yulastoro's personal account. The other graft cases include the alleged misappropriation of funds from the Bunton power plant project in Adipala district for the acquisition of a 4-hectare plot of land worth Rp 1.8 billion in 2008.

Meanwhile, in Makassar, the tax office for South, West and Southeast Sulawesi arrested a local businessman Tuesday for alleged tax evasion and falsifying his tax return forms in 2005 and 2007.

The businessman, identified only as H.G., is the owner of CV ASTK, involved in the export of commodities and timber processing in Makassar. The suspect is currently being detained by the South Sulawesi Police and undergoing questioning by officers from the Directorate General of Tax.

Makassar tax office head Eddi Setiadi said Wednesday the suspect had been arrested Tuesday after investigators found strong evidence of tax fraud.He added his office had been conducting observations since December last year, and thanks to initial evidence that was quite strong, investigations were conducted from April 8 by questioning a number of witnesses from the company and public accountants.

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