Riau Must Corrupt Province : ICW

Pekanbaru, Riau (Antara) - Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said Riau is the most corrupt province in the country causing a loss of trillions of rupiah to the state. "In term of state losses the province of Riau is the most corrupt province," ICW activist Tama S Langkun said in an electronic letter to the Antara news agency on Friday. Corruption in the forestry sector alone has caused a loss of Rp1.2 trillion to the state, Tama said. "This is one of the biggest corruption cases being investigated by KPK (the Corruption Eradication Commission)," he added. A number of senior officials of the district administrations of Siak and Pelalawan regencies have been named suspects in corruption cases which also implicated Riau Governor Rusli Zainal. Court investigations showed that corruption cases in the forestry sector involved tens of forestry companies holding license for industrial timber estates. The biggest case involved PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) causing a loss of Rp939.29 billion to the state. Other major cases causing losses to the state involved PT Merbau Pelalawan Lestari causing a loss of Rp7.68 billion, PT Selaras Abadi Utama Rp6.999 billion, PT Uniseraya Rp13.03 billion, CV Putri Lindung Bulan Rp54.48 billion and CV Tuah Negeri Rp4.63 billion, CV Mutiara Lestari Rp282 million, PT Rimba Mutiara Permai Rp7.11 billion, PT Mitra Tani Nusa Sejati Rp16.88 billion, PT Bhakti Praja Mulia Rp10.74 billion, PT Trio Mas FDI Rp13.39 billion, PT Satria Perkasa Agung Rp94.82 billion, and PT Mitra Hutani Jaya Rp87.29 billion, CV Alam Jaya Rp12.93 billion, CV Harapan Jaya Rp13.73 billion, PT Madukuro Rp17.6 billion and PT Yos Raya Timber Rp6 billion. Based on court investigations monitored by Riau Corruption Trial, at there were least 39 other corruption outside the forestry sector in Riau . They included 5 cases in the provincial administration, 5 cases each in the Siak and Kampar district administrations, 5 cases in the Dumai city administration and 4 cases each in the regencies of Rokan Hulu and Bengkalis . (*)