Outgoing Malang regent faces prosecution for graft

Malang Regent Sujud Pribadi will face the music when he ends his term this month, as a delayed prosecution for alleged graft is revived.

Head of the Malang prosecutor office’s special crime unit, Nurhadi Puspandoyo, said the regency faces a graft case allegedly involving Rp 540 million (US$60,000).

“We will reopen the case as all the evidence is ready, including the documents that we asked for from police investigators,” said Nurhadi.

The regent is alleged to have been involved in the misappropriation of up to Rp 1.1 billion from the regency’s 2005 budget intended to help build Islamic boarding schools and houses of worship in the regency.

Instead funds were allegedly spent on tour expenses of 12 regency administrations officials and 11 public figures to travel to Singapore, Malaysia, Jerusalem, Egypt and Mecca.

Apart from the regent and his wife, others who joined the tours, included the chairman of Malang District Court and commander of Malang Military District Command.

A year later, these officials and public figures learned the cost of their tour did not come from the regent’s private pocket but from the misappropriated regency budget.

The case came to light in May 2005, following a report to the Malang Police by Achmad Farichin Mochsan, an Islamic boarding school cleric in Candirenggo subdistrict. He said he did not go on the tour, but his name was on the list.

The then head of the regency administration’s economy and people’s welfare division, Sahirudin, confessed to the regency legislative council. He was detained for two months, confirming funds came from a regency fund for Islamic boarding schools and mosques.

Investigation into the case was delayed since a letter of permission was needed from the President to allow investigation of the regent.

In 2007, Malang Regional Police asked by letter for the help of the Commission on Corruption Eradication (KPK) to pursue the case.

Zia Ul Haq of Malang Corruption Watch commended the prosecutor

“We hope the prosecutors’ office is really serious in handling the case, the investigation has been halted for quite some time due to strong political influence,” Zia said.

Malang in 2008 was ranked 6th out of 19 cities and regencies in East Java province in term of corruption cases.