South Kalimantan governor named graft suspect

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 09/28/2010 8:30 PM

The Attorney General’s Office has declared South Kalimantan governor Rudy Arifin a suspect in a misappropriation of regional budget in 2002-2003 which caused Rp 6.4 billion (US$700,000) in state losses, when he was the Banjar regent.

Spokesman for the AGO Babul Khoir Harahap said on Tuesday Rudy was declared a graft suspect on Sept. 16 for ordering payment of compensation to PT Golden Martapura, a private paper company belonging to Gunawan Sutanto, for acquisition of a plot of land.

Babul told Antara news agency the payment was unnecessary as the company’s land use permit had already expired.

He said the AGO was waiting for presidential permit to question Rudy, in accordance with the law.

Incumbent governor Rudy and his running mate Rudy Resnawan, who were nominated by the Golkar Party and the United Development Party, won the election by landslide in July, beating among others the pair of Zairullah Azhar and Habib Aboe Bakar, who was nominated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, the Prosperous Justice Party and the National Awakening Party.

Earlier this year the AGO named East Kalimantan governor Awang Faroek Ishak a corruption suspect in connection with divestment of coal company PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) in 2006, when he was the East Kutai regent. The prosecutors believe state losses resulting from the graft case reach Rp 576 billion.