Banjir Ambarita, Jayapura – A mob of hundreds burned down five homes and looted several stores in West Papua's Maybrat district early on Tuesday after the district chief, Bernard Sagrim, was arrested by police on corruption charges.

The crowd had begun gathering since Monday night, when news spread that Bernard had been taken in for questioning by the Papua Police over allegations that he embezzled Rp 3 billion, or $261,000, in social aid funds from the district budget.

After police announced that the district chief had officially been detained, the crowd went on the rampage, burning homes in Maybrat's South and Central Ayamaru subdistricts, police and eyewitnesses told the Jakarta Globe.

They also looted several stores as they marched on the district legislature to demand Bernard's release.

"We can confirm that there have been arson attacks and we're still trying to get the crowd under control," Sr. Comr. Pudjo Sulistyo, a spokesman for the Papua Police in Jayapura, told the Globe. The mob remains camped outside the Maybrat legislature, a resident told the Globe.

Bernard faces multiple charges of corruption and money-laundering in connection with the alleged embezzlement of the district's social aid funds, for which he could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

He was first named a suspect in the case in August last year, but only detained this week. One of his assistants has already been charged and arrested and is due to stand trial soon.

This is not the first time that Bernard has been at the center of controversy. In May last year he moved the district capital from Kumurkek to Ayamaru, in direct violation of a Home Affairs Ministry prohibition on administrative changes in Maybrat. He was censured by the ministry and ordered to move the district capital back to Kumurkek, but refused to do so.

Questions also abound about his election as district chief in September 2011. The official count put him just 170 votes behind his rival, Agustinus Saa, and he disputed the result at the Constitutional Court. The court, led by then-chief justice Akil Mochtar, overturned the official result and handed victory to Bernard.

Akil is now standing trial for taking tens of billions of rupiah in bribes for favorable rulings in 11 election disputes. The 2011 Maybrat election was not among those listed in Akil's indictment.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/rampage-w-papua-district-chief-arrested-graft/