The Home Ministry says that it removed Basyrah Lubis as regent of Padang Lawas, North Sumatra, following his recent conviction by the Supreme Court (MA) for falsifying land documents
he Home Ministry says that it removed Basyrah Lubis as regent of Padang Lawas, North Sumatra, following his recent conviction by the Supreme Court (MA) for falsifying land documents.
Home Ministry spokesman Reydonnyzar Moenek said on Tuesday that official notice of Basyrah’s expulsion was sent to caretaker Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho.
“The letter about the unseating of Padang Lawas’ regent has been sent to [Gatot] today,” he said, adding that the ministry had promoted Deputy Regent Ali Sutan Harahap to replace Basyrah.
Reydonnyzar said the decision was based on the Supreme Court’s decision to sentence Basyrah to eight months’ probation and since he had been accused of charges that might have led to a sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
Home Miniser Gamawan Fauzi consulted with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono before removing Basyrah, Reydonnyzar said.
“The minister reported it to the President and the President endorsed the move, provided that it had a legal basis,” he said.
Basyrah said that he had not received the letter removing him from office. “I have not been informed about that. I am still the regent,” he said over the telephone.
He said he had filed an appeal of the court’s decision. “The legal process is still underway. We await the verdict.”
Basyrah, who was elected in 2009, was convicted of falsifying a land document when he was Barumun district head in 2004.
Separately, activists want the Central Java Prosecutor’s Office to turn over its unresolved graft cases involving prominent figures to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
The call was made by activists from the Central Java Anticorruption Coalition (Komsak) and the Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism Investigation and Eradication Committee (KP2KKN).
According to a Komsak representative, a case involving Rp 1.2 billion (US$130,800) in state losses implicating Central Java Legislative Council member Reza Kurniawan in 2008 has not been brought to trial, even though Reza, now deputy speaker, was named a suspect in 2010.
Komsak coordinator Musyafak urged the Central Java Prosecutor’s Office to arrest Reza or turn the case over to the KPK.
“No progress has been made over the past three years,” he said in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a KP2KKN representative has taken a swipe at prosecutors for failing to follow through after naming Karanganyar Regent Rina Iriani Sri Ratnaningsih a suspect in a graft probe in 2010.
“This has made us lose trust in the prosecutor’s office,” KP2KKN law enforcement monitoring chief Eko Haryanto said.
The case reportedly caused Rp 20.1 billion in state losses from misappropriations of a housing project subsidy for Griya Lawu Asri (GLA) in Gondangrejo, Karanganyar.
Three other suspects in the case have been convicted in the interim, sentenced to up to five years’ imprisonment.
“We will send a letter to the KPK regarding the case as soon as possible,” Eko said.
In response, Central Java Prosecutor Bambang Waluyo said that Reza Kurniawan had been examined on April 4 for the first time since he was named a suspect in 2010.
Bambang said the case was complex and needed time before it could be brought to trial. “It requires special procedures because he is a councilor. We need permission from the Home Minister.”
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