24 Mar 2010

Papua prosecutors accused of selling seized boats

11:46 am on 24 March 2010

In the Indonesian province of Papua, two prosecutors have been named as suspects in the alleged sale of as many as 57 fishing boats that had been held as evidence in illegal-fishing cases.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Didiek Darmanto, says they estimate a loss of at least 72,000 US dollars from the illegal sale of six of the boats.

But he says the loss is very likely to grow because they suspect 57 boats have been sold by the two suspects

The suspects are Edi Sutiyono, who was the chief prosecutor in Papua's Merauke district at the time of the suspected crime in 2006-07, and the head of the special crimes division at the prosecutor's district office, Suparno,

Mr Darmanto says the proceeds generated from the boat sales were not deposited in state accounts.

The pair have been suspended pending the completion of the investigation.