BPK takes over West Java audit work, replaces chief

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has replaced its West Java office chief Gunawan Sidauruk and will take over all auditing duties for West Java's 2009 provincial, regency, and mayoralty financial reports.

The move came after the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) decision to arrest several West Java BPK officials and Bekasi city administrators on allegations of bribery.

A BPK statement said it was making "a fresh change" by appointing Slamet Kurniawan as the new head of the West Java BPK .

The agency acknowledged the delay in handing over financial reports from the provincial administration and 26 regencies and municipalities in West Java.

"The delay was for the sake of maintaining the quality of audit reports following previous incidents at the West Java BPK, which tarnished the BPK's overall image," according to the press release.

BPK chief state financial auditor Achmad Sjakir Amir said his office had received audited financial reports from Sukabumi, Cirebon, Sumedang, Purwakarta and Bogor regencies and Sukabumi, Cirebon and Banjar municipalities.

The KPK previously named five suspects in the case, which alleged a Rp 321 million bribe was given to secure positive evaluation of the Bekasi city budget audit in 2009.

The suspects are Bekasi municipal secretary Tjandra Utama Effendi, West Java BPK sub-directorate head Suharto, auditor Enang Hermawan and Bekasi municipality officers Herry Suparjan and Heri Lukman.

KPK investigators arrested Suharto at his home in Bandung last month after he allegedly accepted Rp 200 million from Herry and Heri.

A bag containing Rp 200 million in cash was found at the house during the raid.

The commission said the Bekasi municipality had bribed Suharto to approve their financial report.

West Java BPK spokesperson Nurina Hijiani di not comment as of Friday.