Top Education Ministry official arrested for graft

Andreas D. Arditya ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 11/04/2008 9:11 AM  |  Education

The Special Crime Investigation Unit of the Jakarta District Attorney (DA)'s Office arrested a National Education Ministry official over his alleged involvement in a graft, which caused the state a Rp 4.5 billion loss, early Tuesday morning.

Faisal Madani, head of the planning division of the Education Ministry's Directorate for Non-formal and Informal Education, was arrested by the DA's investigation unit at his residence in Pamulang, Tangerang, Banten.

According to AGO spokesman Jasman Pandjaitan , Faisal was remanded after repeatedly failing to comply with summons for questioning.

“The official was arrested after failing to answer three summons from the prosecutor's office,”  he said, adding that the suspect was being detained at Salemba Detention Center in Central Jakarta.

The prosecutor's office has previously arrested three other top National Education Ministry officials, including a former directorate general, in the case.

Former Director General of the Education Ministry's Directorate for Nonformal and Informal Education Ace Suryadi was detained in September.

Both Suryadi and Madani were accused of manipulating data in an Internasional Computer Guiding Licence (ICGL) project in 2006.

The project, jointly held with the private sector, saw private companies being unofficially appointed to carry out the program.

"Madani is suspected of providing a false list of institutions claimed as recipients of ICGL licensing," Mustaming said, adding that no public tender was held.

As much as Rp 600 billion of the 2006 State Budget was allocated for the ICGL project, Rp 4.5 billion of which were allegedly misappropriated. (amr)

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