City council ponders ethics committee<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The city council might set up an ethics
\ncommittee and draft an internal code of conduct to deal with,
\namong other things, money its members regularly received from
\ncity officials and business people.<\/p>\n
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Speaker Edy Waluyo hoped the
\nscheme would stop councillors from receiving payoffs.<\/p>\n
\"Next year, we may set up an ethics committee to handle this
\nkind of (bribery) cases,\" Edy told journalists on Friday.<\/p>\n
According to him, other cases involving the councillors could
\nbe handed over to law enforcers, Edy said without elaborating.<\/p>\n
\"We have no authority to question our members, so we will pass
\nthe cases to their respective factions and let them decide
\nwhether to take legal action,\" Edy added.<\/p>\n
His remarks were in response to the action of four councillors
\nof the Justice Party (PK) who received payoffs during their
\nofficial visits this year but decided to distribute the money,
\ntotaling Rp 40 million (about US$4,325), among some 130 low
\nranking staff at the council such as office boys, drivers,
\nsecurity officers and cleaners.<\/p>\n
The council has 85 members from 11 factions. By law, the
\ncouncillors are obliged to inspect and monitor the growth and
\nperformance of city firms and agencies.<\/p>\n
So far, only the PK councillors have decided not to use the
\nmoney for their personal interests. They had initially wanted to
\nreturn the money to its source.<\/p>\n
\"It would be impolite (to other fellow councillors) if we had
\ndirectly rejected the money,\" Ahmad Heryawan, PK deputy chairman,
\nsaid on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, coordinator of Government Watch Farid R. Faqih
\nstrongly urged the other 81 councillors who had received payoffs
\nto step down.<\/p>\n
\"It's about moral principals. They have broken their own
\noaths,\" the activist said.<\/p>\n
Councilor Edi from the TNI\/Polri faction on Friday agreed with
\nFarid.<\/p>\n
\"Receiving bribes is wrong. What had happened was a big
\nmistake and it's the fault of both the executive and legislative
\nmembers,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It violates the councillors' oath. So, we have to establish a
\nnew system to prevent it from happening again,\" Edi added.<\/p>\n
He further explained that the council had issued an official
\norder which prohibits councillors from receiving such payoffs. In
\nline with the order, the council has allocated funds to finance
\ncouncillors' official duties.<\/p>\n
\"The funds are not much but I believe it can cover their
\ndrinks and cigarettes during the trips. We would also be
\nproviding transportation for them so they should not be accepting
\nany money from city officials,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Edy, however, did not explain whether he had received such
\nmoney from other parties.<\/p>\n
Article 423 of the Criminal Law stipulates that civil officers
\nabusing their authority for their own interests by giving payoffs
\ncould be sentenced to six years in jail.<\/p>\n
According to Article 42 of Law no.4\/1999 on the position, task
\nand authority of legislators and councillors, councillors
\nsuspected of accepting bribes could be dismissed by the council
\nspeaker with recommendations from the related faction.<\/p>\n
Separately on Friday, Governor Sutiyoso urged the city
\ncouncillors to disclose the names of city agencies which had
\ngiven them payoffs.<\/p>\n
\"If the councillors refuse to reveal the names of the city
\nagencies, we (city administration) will identify them in our own
\nway,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Councilor Agus Dharmawan of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
\nfaction, said it was unnecessary to reveal the sources who have
\nmade payoffs, saying that it would suffice if councillors
\nmaintain their commitment not to receive any more bribes.<\/p>\n
\"I guess it is not about the money, but our will to eradicate
\nsuch (illegal) practices,\" said Agus.<\/p>\n
Agus said some councillors might not be able to change their
\nhabit of accepting bribes as it was widely practiced in the
\nprevious regime.<\/p>\n
\"This is the reform era. Things have changed, and so must we,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He proposed a separate fund for councillors' official visits
\nin the draft city budget for 2001, so that each councilor would
\nhave no reason to receive payoffs.<\/p>\n
\"The council had proposed a budget of at least Rp 1 million
\nper month for every member,\" he said, adding that the draft was
\nstill being reviewed.(dja\/07)<\/p>",
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