AGO INVESTIGATING FORMER DIPLOMAT IN BEIJING

Jakarta, Oct 23 (ANTARA) - The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is investigating former chief of the Immigration Affairs of the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing, Djoko Budihartono in an alleged corruption case taking place at the embassy, the Attorney General's Spokesman said.

"We are investigating Wednesday the former immigration affairs chief at the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing," AGO spokesman Jasman Pandjaitan said.

Previously, two former Indonesian ambassadors to China have been named suspects in the corruption case by the Attorney General Office. The alleged corruption took place between May 2000 and October 2004.

The suspects collected 55 yuan US$7 from each application for a visa, a passport or a like-passport travel document (SPLP).

The funds they collected from the practice totaled 10,275,684.85 yuan and US$9,613. But the collection was not transfered to the state as a non-tax revenue (PNBP).

He said that the funds were used by the suspects for their own need.

The collection of the funds from the applications of the immigration documents was based on a decision by the Indonesian head of representatives in China, Beijing, No. 280/KEP/IX/1999 on Immigration Tariff dated September 24, 1999