200 SOE officials probed over graft in Indonesia

At least 200 officials at Indonesian state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are being investigated for their alleged involvement in graft and abuse of authority, a minister here said.

State Minister for State Enterprises Sugiharto was quoted Monday by The Jakarta Post daily as saying that several officials being questioned had officially been named suspects, but he declined to give their names at this early point in the investigation. The minister said he would not replace any of the officials until the authorities make a final decision on their legal status.

"In principle, the officials being questioned can be replaced, but I have to abide by the principle of presumption of innocence," Sugiharto said.

The minister acknowledged the investigation had affected the performance of several state-owned companies because the officials being questioned were hesitant to make any decisions or issue orders during the legal process.

But Sugiharto said he had ordered the boards of directors and commissioners of all state-owned companies to carry on with their work during the investigation.

"Compared to the 6,000 officials at the 158 SOEs, the 200 officials being questioned cannot be considered as representing the state of the SOEs as a whole," he said.

The minister said he fully supported the steps taken by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to rid state-owned companies of corruption, collusion and nepotism, as stipulated in a 2004 presidential instruction.

Source: Xinhua