Investigators from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) are investigating several city councilors from the 2004-2009 term, in a graft case that allegedly cost the state Rp 27.5 billion (US$2.85 million).
The councilors allegedly allocated money directly from the city's 2008 budget for a research project called "City Council Capacity Building".
The councilors ended their tenure in September 2009, but the project was apparently never carried out, despite funding for it having been dispersed.
Thus far the AGO has named two suspects in the case. One of them is an official from the council secretariat with the initials AHR, who allegedly took responsibility for the project's approval.
The other, AHM, is the director of PT MAK, a private company that won the tender for the project.
The two suspects have not been detained.
Assistant attorney general for special crimes Marwan Effendy hinted Wednesday that the AGO's investigators would likely name several more councilors suspects in the case. "We are still investigating whether the councilors were really involved. But, in such graft cases, usually they are.
"The project was not proposed by the city administration," Marwan said. "All of the sudden, the councilors allocated billions of rupiah to a fictitious project."
Investigations into the case began in mid-2009.
"We have questioned a number of witnesses and investigations are still underway," Marwan said, adding that a number of 2004-2009 councilors had been summoned to questioning sessions.
"Councilors are supposed to provide assessment information when approving projects and allocating funds from the city budget.
"They are also supposed to coordinate with the administration," Marwan said.
Dani Anwar, a 2004-2009 councilor from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), said he had not been informed about the project.
"If they said the project was about councilors' building capacity, as a councilor I should have been informed about it," Dani told the Post.
Any councilors found guilty in the case should face legal charges because the graft allegations may damage the city council's image, he said. (bbs)
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