Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang

Tangerang prosecutors' office said Thursday they were re-evaluating a fraud case involving comedian Sujarwo, better known as Jarwo Kwat, after the office received new evidence.

The office said it would proceed with the case after the re-evaluation, confirming that it would not drop the case.

Jarwo is one of the comedians who appeared on the Metro TV station Republik Mimpi (Republic of Dreams) talkshow. In the show the comedians impersonated top Indonesian political figures, like Vice President Jusuf Kalla, played by Jarwo.

"We have only postponed handing the case to the Tangerang District Court. We have done so for several reasons," prosecutors' office chief Godang Riadi Siregar said Thursday.

He said the prosecutors had received new evidence, filed by Jarwo, which had not been included in the dossiers submitted by Tangerang Metro Police.

"The new evidence included records of a payment amounting to Rp 90 million from Andar Jaya to businessman Alex Cokro, who reported Jarwo to the police for embezzlement and deception," Godang said.

Despite Andar Jaya's testimony in favor of Jarwo on Metro TV, Gondang said, legal proceedings against Jarwo would continue.

"We will refer to the police dossiers. Andar Jaya's testimony on Metro TV will not change anything unless he submits his testimony to the police," Godang said, denying rumors that there had been interference in the case from top-ranking officials.

Separately, Jarwo said he had always fulfilled the office's parole order, reporting his whereabouts every Monday and Thursday.

"It's tiring to have to come to the prosecutors' office twice a week just to report my whereabouts. I hope the prosecutors will allow me to reduce the visits to once a week," he told The Jakarta Post on leaving the prosecutors' office Thursday.

Jarwo says he is innocent and therefore has always fulfilled the parole requirements.

Since the allegations against Jarwo appeared in public, Metro TV has taken the Republik Mimpi show off the air indefinitely.