Medan – Hundreds of students rallied at the North Sumatra Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday, demanding that Medan's Mayor be detained after he was named a suspect in a graft case.

Rahudman Harahap, who was only recently elected mayor, was alleged to have embezzled Rp 1.5 billion (US$168,000) from the state budget when he was South Tapanuli administration secretary in 2005.

Rally coordinator Amri Pulungan said prosecutors should immediately detain Rahudman to preventing him from destroying evidence.

"The prosecutor's office should not make any compromises with corrupt individuals. Rahudman must be detained soon because he has been named suspect," Amri said.

Prosecutor's spokesperson Edi Irsan Kurniawan said the office was continuing its investigation.