Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has suspended indefinitely Banten Governor Djoko Munandar to facilitate his prosecution for a corruption case.
Djoko, who was nominated by the National Mandate Party (PAN), is the second incumbent governor to have been suspended during Susilo's first year in office due to graft charges after Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh's suspension last year.
Djoko's suspension was stipulated in a presidential decree signed by Susilo on Monday, which was announced later in the day by presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng after a coordination meeting on the anticorruption drive at the presidential office.
Andi said the President had appointed Banten Deputy Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah to take over administrative duties while Djoko's prosecution was underway. "The suspension was issued following a letter of request from the Minister of Home Affairs dated Sept. 6," Andi said.
According to the presidential decree, the suspension is mandatory to support the judicial process against Djoko, who has been named a defendant, in accordance with Law No. 32/2004 on regional administration.
Djoko is facing trial in a graft case believed to have caused Rp 14 billion (US$1.4 million) in state losses. The case is centered in the alleged misuse of the 2003 Banten provincial budget. As the provincial legislature speaker Djoko allegedly took some Rp 3.5 billion to cover the activities of the councillors who debated the draft budget and another Rp 10.5 billion to illegally finance the construction of houses of 75 councillors.
Prosecutors have also named as suspects Dharmon K. Lawi, a former Banten council chairman who is now a House of Representatives legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI-P); Muslim Djamaludin, former deputy speaker of the Banten legislature; Tardian, the legislative council's secretary; Tuti Sutiah Indra, former secretary of the council's budgetary committee and Mufrodi Muchsin, the current deputy speaker of the council.
Puteh was suspended shortly after he was named a defendant in a mark-up case of a helicopter purchase, which caused Rp 12 billion in state losses. Puteh was sentenced to 10 years, a verdict recently upheld by the Supreme Court. Puteh also has to pay Rp 6 billion in restitution to the state.
Since assuming power last October, Susilo has issued permits to enable the investigation of the activities of nearly 40 regents who are implicated in corruption cases. The antigraft movement has now reached out to the judiciary corps, with the probe into alleged bribery involving Supreme Court officials.