Jakarta – The number of corruption cases in the first semester of this year doubled to 176, with state losses estimated at about Rp 2 trillion (US$222 million), from the corresponding period last year, according to data of the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW).

During investigation 441 individuals have been named as suspects by law enforcement officials for their alleged involvement in the corruption practices, ICW senior researcher Febri Hendri said Wednesday.

The main actors in the corruption practices had shifted from legislators with 63 suspects in 2009 to directors of private companies with 61 suspects in 2010, the data shows.

"This indicates that the orientation of the private sector is restricted to making the largest profits possible by employing various means," said Febri.

He further said that the main 'modus operandi' of corruption had also shifted from misuse of state budgetary funds topping 2009 with 32 cases to embezzlement with 62 cases this year.

Febri added that the embezzlements were related to the misuse of social aid funds by government officials and individuals from the private companies during local elections in 2008 and 2009.

"We will present our findings to the law enforcement institutions such as the Attorney's General Office, the police and the Corruption Eradication Commission," he said. "The results will function as an indicator of the work of the law enforcers since they themselves remain closed about the handling of corruption cases." (gzl)