The Jakarta Post, May 14, 2007
Live ammunition found in home of graft suspect
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators and police have discovered
rounds of live ammunition at the private residence of a corruption suspect.
The stash was found during the search of a house owned by R.M. Daud to collect
evidence for a corruption case involving the procurement of fire trucks for the
Makassar municipality administration.
Daud is chairman of PT Istana Sarana Raya, the private company contracted to
procure the vehicles.
"The find has been handed over to the Menteng Police, which from now will handle the
case related to the live ammunition," KPK spokesman Johan Budi S.P. told The
Jakarta Post over the weekend.
Johan said the discovery of the ammunition was not connected with the corruption
case currently under investigation by the KPK.
Central Jakarta Police detective chief Comr. Agustinus Pangaribuan said the police
would name Daud as a suspect for the illegal ownership of live ammunition.
The surprise find included 523 rounds of 32.6 caliber bullets, six magazines and three
holsters.
PT Istana Sarana Raya is a Jakarta-based supplier of fire extinguishing equipment.
The company won the contract to supply the Makassar municipality administration
with 10 fire trucks in 2003.
Former Makassar mayor Amiruddin Maula, who was at the helm of the city between
2002 and 2004, has also been named a suspect in the corruption case, which cost
the government Rp 9 billion (US$1.01 million).
Johan said that aside from the live ammunition, KPK investigators had also discovered
documents corroborating Amiruddin's involvement in the case.
The former mayor stands accused of inflating the price of the fire trucks. A number of
active and former officials have also been questioned by the KPK as witnesses in
similar cases.
Among the witnesses were Bali Governor Made Beratha, Central Java Governor
Mardiyanto, former Riau governor Saleh Djasit and former West Java governor
Nuriana.
To date, Amiruddin is the only official to be named a suspect in the case currently
under KPK investigation.
The procurement was the result of an order made by then home minister Hari Sabarno
that all local administrations purchase fire extinguishing equipment.
The corruption probe will likely target Hari himself, who was one of many powerful
ministers in the Cabinet of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri.
A number of former ministers who served in Megawati's Cabinet have stood trial on
corruption charges.
Among these were former fisheries and maritime affairs minister Rokhmin Dahuri and
former religious affairs minister Said Agil Husin al-Munawar.
An investigation is currently targeting other former ministers from Megawati's Cabinet,
including Laksamana Sukardi and former State Logistics Agency chief Widjanarko
Puspoyo.
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