A district chief has agreed to a demand by priests from the Ledalero School of Philosophy in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara to call in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to probe graft allegations against senior district officials.

The priests, who are teaching at the school,  met local legislators yesterday to demand immediate action regarding the case which involves the disappearance of about 10.7 billion rupiah (US$1.3 million) from a social aid fund in Sikka district.

The discovery was made in 2009 during a funds audit, but nothing has been seen to be done since then, sparking anger among the priests.

“If local legislators do not cooperate, we will go to Jakarta to see KPK officials ourselves and ask them to come here and look into the case,” said Divine Word Father Hubert Thomas, the lecturers’ spokesman.

The meeting yesterday, he said was aimed at encouraging the local legislators to show the people they represent that they are taking this case, which has dearly cost the area and state seriously.

He said the lecturers are disappointed progress in the case has been slow and that efforts so far have only targeted “low-level officials.”

At the meeting, Rafael Raga, head of the district’s legislative body, said that the corruption commission has been contacted, but had referred the case to the district attorney’s office. However, he promised the commission would be contacted again and asked to take a more active role in pursuing the case.

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