City councillors query missing Ancol funds<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
City councillors questioned on Tuesday city-owned PT Pembangunan
\nJaya Ancol over a \"missing\" company fund of Rp 76.4 billion
\n(US$7.64 million).<\/p>\n
\"We suspect that the missing fund has been misappropriated,\"
\nsaid chairman of City Council Commission B for development
\naffairs, Syarief Zulkarnaen, during a hearing with PT
\nPembangungan Jaya Ancol.<\/p>\n
Syarief, a councillor of the United Development Party (PPP),
\nrefuted the company's explanation saying that the fund --
\nreceived from state-owned toll operator PT Jasa Marga -- had all
\nbeen used.<\/p>\n
He quoted the company's former president director, Rushadi,
\nwho said in a hearing last year that the fund was received from
\nPT Jasa Marga as compensation for developing the Pluit - Tanjung
\nPriok toll road.<\/p>\n
The compensation was gradually dispensed by PT Jasa Marga from
\n1995 to 2000 as the toll road development had used a part of PT
\nPembangunan Jaya Ancol's land.<\/p>\n
The current PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol president director,
\nYahya Riyabudi, claimed that the fund totaling Rp 76.4 billion
\nwas used to finance company projects, particularly the
\nreclamation of Ancol beach in North Jakarta municipality.<\/p>\n
However, his statement was quickly corrected by the company's
\nbusiness director, Pramono Sudiro, who said that some Rp 33
\nbillion of the fund was still deposited in the company's bank
\naccount.<\/p>\n
\"We won't comment on Rushadi's statement that the fund is
\nstill in the company,\" Yahya said.<\/p>\n
Councillor Dani Anwar of the Justice Party revealed that there
\nwas no reclamation project on Ancol beach.<\/p>\n
\"Not even one square meter of the beach has been reclaimed,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Dani said the council had decided to summon the company's
\nmanagement on May 1 in another hearing to provide more
\nexplanation and data.<\/p>\n
Many fear that the fund was used to finance the city
\ncouncillors and officials' controversial foreign trips in October
\n2000.<\/p>\n
Rushadi was fired last year after being proven guilty of
\nfinancing the trip to Australia, Japan and South Africa although
\nGovernor Sutiyoso, who is an ex-officio PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol
\npresident commissioner, claimed he had not approved the trip.<\/p>\n
The case, dubbed as Ancolgate, is still being investigated by
\nthe Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.<\/p>\n
Three councillors -- Tarmidi Suhardjo and Tarmidi Edi Suwarno
\nof the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
\nand Ali Imron Hussein of PPP -- were named as suspects.<\/p>\n
Each of them reportedly received a $5,000 allowance from PT
\nPembangunan Jaya Ancol and Rp 55 million from the city budget
\nalthough they did not join the trip.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-councillors-query-missing-ancol-funds-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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