Council finds Rp 13.9b malfeasance in KPUD<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After two weeks of inquiries, the City Council said on Monday
\nthat it uncovered irregularities totaling Rp 13.9 billion
\n(US$1.45 million) in the Jakarta General Elections Commission
\n(KPUD) Rp 168.6 billion 2004 budget and would submit its findings
\nto its chairman.<\/p>\n
The council said that KPUD Jakarta had marked up the prices of
\nelectoral staff vests resulting in state losses reaching Rp 9.7
\nbillion and failed to pay income and value-added taxes amounting
\nto Rp 4.2 billion.<\/p>\n
Chairman of Council Commission A on legal and administrative
\naffairs Achmad Suaidy said that the commission would submit its
\nfinal recommendation to the City Council speaker, who would pass
\nthe report on to the City Audit Agency (Bawasda) and Supreme
\nAudit Agency (BPK).<\/p>\n
\"It is the City Council speaker who will decide whether or not
\nthe case can be submitted to law enforcers,\" said Suaidy, who
\nhails from the United Development Party (PPP) faction.<\/p>\n
Commission secretary Raja Natal Sitinjak said the commission
\nhad no authority to directly submit its findings to external
\ninstitutions such as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).<\/p>\n
\"The council's authority is only limited to monitoring the
\ncity budget. We can seek clarification for alleged irregularities
\nin the use of the funds, but we can only report the findings to
\nrelevant agencies for further follow-up,\" Raja said.<\/p>\n
The commission said that it would recommend the dismissal of
\nKPUD officials responsible and would urge law enforcers,
\nincluding the KPK to pursue the irregularities by the electoral
\ncommission as well as the city administration for failing to
\nprovide clear guidelines for the KPUD.<\/p>\n
However, councillor Rois Hadayana Syaugie of the Prosperous
\nJustice Party faction called on law enforcers to be proactive in
\npursuing the case amid strong indications of corruption and
\nmarkups made by the KPUD.<\/p>\n
\"We allege tax evasion as KPUD members have failed pay their
\nincome taxes and value-added taxes totaling Rp 4.2 billion,\" said
\nRois.<\/p>\n
The commission also found alleged fictitious tender processes
\nand markups in the procurement of 180,000 vests for KPUD
\nelectoral staff that cost Rp 12 billion (or Rp 66,700 per piece)
\nby the KPUD. The price was far higher than the market price of Rp
\n25,000, he said.<\/p>\n
\"There have been alleged markups and manipulation in the
\nrental fees at the offices for the KPUD in the Thousand Islands
\nregency, which reportedly cost Rp 110 million,\" he said, adding
\nthat KPUD chairman M. Taufik should be held responsible for the
\nirregularities.<\/p>\n
Separately, councillor Solekhan Sularno of the Democratic
\nParty faction admitted that there had been a tug-of-war among
\ncommission members during their closed-door meeting late last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
Some councillors wanted the commission to pass its report
\ndirectly to law enforcers, but some others emphasized that the
\nreport had to be submitted to Bawasda and BPK only.<\/p>\n
\"Since the majority of the commission members want the
\nrelevant antigraft agencies to tackle the problems in the KPUD,
\nwe all went along with the decision (to submit the report to the
\ncouncil chairman),\" he said.<\/p>",
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