Governor of Papua Province, Lukas Enembe (Jubi)
Jayapura, 17/3 (Jubi) – Papua Governor Lukas Enembe denied reports that two new-ly appointed officials were ignoring summonses from the High Prosecutors’ Office (Kejati) in connection with a corruption case surrounding 3 billion rupiah in election funds.
The prosecutors’ office issued summonses for the suspects, identified as DW and JW, as part of the investigation in irregularities in the use of funds intended for the Election Commission of Lanny Jaya in 2011.
“It’s not true. How could they determine them as suspects while they have never been investigated?” Enembe told to reporter during the inauguration of Democratic Party’s campaign team in Jayapura Saturday (15/3).
He said he has called DW and JW about the case and would speak to the prosecutors’ office later.
“I just have assigned those officials. Determining someone as a suspect without an investigation is not right,” he said.
The governor said he believed the two officials had used the funds properly. By regulation, the use of funds should be approved by the Regent’s, until 2012, Enembe said.
He further explained the 11 billion rupiah in election funds was from the Regional Budget, and the Regent’s approval was required to withdraw the money to pay the salaries of the regional election committee who refused to carry out the poll before payments were settled.
The head of the prosecutors’ office, Elizer Maruli Hutagalung said by phone that the two officials have been questioned in 2011 and were named suspects that year.
“The governor is risking his reputation by coming to the Papuan prosecutors’ office. People would think that he is protecting his officials from the law,” Hutagalung said on Sunday (16/3).
He denied that the two officials were only issuing a Regent’s note. “We will continue the case and let people be the judges,” he added. (Jubi/Indrayadi TH/rom)
