Councilors who receive payoffs asked to resign<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Councilors receiving payoffs from city officials
\nand business people while conducting official duties must resign,
\nan activist said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"It is about moral standards. City officials and councilors
\nhave violated their vows not to receive any kind of payoff which
\nmay influence their work,\" coordinator of Government Watch Farid
\nR. Faqih told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
His remarks were in response to the plan by four councilors of
\nthe Justice Party (PK) to donate Rp 40 million (about US$4,325)
\nto charity. The funds represented the total amount of money
\nreceived from city authorities during various official visits
\nthis year.<\/p>\n
Exposure of the plan attracted dozens of interested applicants
\nwho flooded the City Council office with requests.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday the PK members then distributed the money to 130
\nemployees at the City Council, comprising the cleaning staff,
\ndrivers and security personnel.<\/p>\n
Farid said that payoffs inherently contain some interest.
\nBecause such payments cannot be accounted for, reports regarding
\nthe use of the budget would inevitably be manipulated, he added.<\/p>\n
\"There is no allocation of the budgets (of city agencies) for
\nsuch payments to councilors,\" Farid said.<\/p>\n
Separately another activist, Tom Pasaribu of Parliament Watch
\nIndonesia, said manipulation of the city budget proved to be used
\nfor payoffs to city councilors, could be reported to the city
\npolice and the prosecutor's office.<\/p>\n
\"The councilors must reveal the city agencies which have given
\nthem payoffs. Otherwise, they will be charged for protecting the
\ncrime,\" said Tom.<\/p>\n
The Criminal Law article 423 says any civil officers who abuse
\ntheir authority for their own interests by giving payoffs could
\nbe charged, with punishment including six years in jail.<\/p>\n
\"Such cases must also be reported by the leaders of the city
\ncouncil and the governor, who can reprimand the suspected
\ncouncilors and city authorities with administrative sanctions,\"
\nFarid said.<\/p>\n
According to article 42 in the Law no.4\/1999, suspected
\ncouncilors could be fired by the Council Speaker, with
\nrecommendations from the related faction. There are now 85
\ncouncilors from 11 factions on the City Council.<\/p>\n
\"But I'm pessimistic about such investigations by the city
\nauthorities and councilors,\" Farid of Government Watch said,
\nadding that most similar cases were left buried and unsolved.<\/p>\n
When asked about proposed separate items for councilors'
\nofficial visits in the draft city budget for 2001, Farid said it
\nwas ridiculous.<\/p>\n
Some councilors have said the payments are natural considering
\ntheir efforts.<\/p>\n
\"It is part of the councilors' duty to be exhausted due to the
\nvisits, but they cannot accept such payments,\" Farid said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, councilor Agus Dharmawan of the National Mandate
\nParty (PAN) said it was unnecessary to reveal the source of the
\npayoffs, saying that it would be enough for councilors to
\nmaintain a commitment against receiving such money. (07)<\/p>",
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