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Bandung Mayor Hands Over Cash to Prosecutors
Yuli Krisna | January 10, 2012

Protesters outside the Corruption Eradication Commission in Jakarta last week calling for Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada to be investigated on graft charges. On Tuesday, the mayor brought Rp 2.45 billion ($267,000) to the West Java Prosecutor’s Office in compensation. (Antara Photo) Protesters outside the Corruption Eradication Commission in Jakarta last week calling for Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada to be investigated on graft charges. On Tuesday, the mayor brought Rp 2.45 billion ($267,000) to the West Java Prosecutor’s Office in compensation. (Antara Photo)
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DrDez
5:06pm Jan 11, 2012

priceless really priceless

BilboBaggins
10:35am Jan 11, 2012

“We still don’t know whether there is really a crime and what Dada’s role is in all this,”

If there was no wrong doing why would the mayor hand over $267,000 to the prosecutors office?

Something smeels a bit fishy that's for sure.

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Bandung. Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada brought Rp 2.45 billion ($267,000) to the West Java Prosecutor’s Office in compensation as authorities investigated allegations of embezzlement linked to city coffers, an official said on Tuesday.

Fadil Zumhanna, West Java’s assistant chief prosecutor on special crime, said his office was investigating Rp 80 billion earmarked by the city for social aid in 2009 and 2010.

The Rp 2.45 billion submitted by Dada “is still far from the losses incurred, but we appreciate it,” he said adding that Dada came to his office last Friday along with city secretary Edi Siswadi.

“When [Dada] came to the West Java prosecutors office, he carried Rp 2.45 billion in cash as compensation of state losses. We have confiscated the money and channeled it to the prosecutors office’s bank account,” Fadil said.

He added that Dada was still just a witness in the case, but the mayor could end up facing charges if prosecutors could determine his exact role in the alleged embezzlement case.

Fadil highlighted the 2001 Law on Corruption, which stipulates that compensation of state losses “does not erase the crime.”

Dada’s move however, he said, would be taken into consideration as a mitigating circumstance if his case is prosecuted.

Padjadjaran University criminal law expert Indra Perwira said he was amazed by the mayor’s move, which he described as “extremely odd” and “unusual.”

“We still don’t know whether there is really a crime and what Dada’s role is in all this,” Indra told the Jakarta Globe.

“To question the mayor we must first secure permission from the president, but [Dada] came voluntarily, saying it was his duty as a citizen.

“But I am intrigued exactly what kind of money was returned by the mayor and how the mayor got that money. The sum is huge, after all. If you return money to the state that means it was obtained illegally, so there is a crime.”

The West Java prosecutors office had already declared eight suspects in the case, including Dada’s aides, who were identified as M.A., Y.S., A.S. and L.B.

Prosecutors began investigating the case last year after the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) discovered irregularities in the city’s social aid programs.

The city had spent Rp 79.6 billion of the Rp 80 billion budget, but Bandung officials only presented to the BPK receipts showing that the money had been disbursed, but did not specify to whom the money went or for what purpose.

City officials also could not show requests for social aid from the city or records of social activities or projects that used the social aid fund, BPK reported.

The case also led to the downfall of a police officer, identified as M.R., who is being internally investigated by police in West Java.