Entire council may face graft charges<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
All 75 members of Lampung legislative council could be named as
\nsuspects for their alleged role in a collective graft scam
\nsimilar to those that have plagued many other legislatures across
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
Former Lampung governor Oemarsono could also be charged with
\ninvolvement in the same scam, local prosecutors said.<\/p>\n
They said they were seeking permission from Minister of Home
\nAffairs Hari Sabarno to summon 61 of the 75 Lampung council
\nmembers for questioning in a scandal involving Rp 23.5 billion
\n(US$2.6 million) from the 2001 and 2002 budgets.<\/p>\n
\"Our progress is being hampered because the minister has yet
\nto respond to a request we sent in May for permission to question
\nthe councillors,\" Lampung Prosecutor's Office head Wisnu Subroto
\nsaid on Monday.<\/p>\n
During a visit to Lampung last Friday to attend the
\ninauguration of Krakatau Festival by President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri, Minister Hari denied receiving the request.<\/p>\n
\"I will certainly not impede the investigation process, but I
\nhaven't received the letter yet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister has, however, issued permission to summon six of
\nthe 61 councillors and eight others who had already been recalled
\nfrom the council by their respective parties. The 14 have been
\ndeclared suspects in the same case.<\/p>\n
Lampung Prosecutor's Office investigation section head Maryono
\nsaid there was sufficient evidence to charge all 75 councillors
\nwith the collective scam.<\/p>\n
Should the home affairs minister not give his approval by
\nAugust, Maryono said, his office would have to wait until the
\ncouncillors ended their five-year terms in September to question
\nthem.<\/p>\n
He said his office has also questioned as witnesses former
\nLampung council speaker Abbas Hadi Sunyoto and several other ex-
\nmembers including Syahrial, Firmansyah, Hadi Syaukat, B. Sarjono
\nand Agusman Arief.<\/p>\n
Lampung Prosecutor's Office deputy head Darmono confirmed that
\nall of those summoned as witnesses could be named as suspects,
\nincluding former governor Oemarsono.<\/p>\n
Darmono argued that Oemarsono had played a key role in
\ndrafting the budgets.<\/p>\n
The Rp 23.5 billion graft allegations came to light following
\na recent report by the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP),
\nwhich showed that more than Rp 9.5 billion was misappropriated
\nfrom Lampung's 2001 budget, while Rp 14 billion more was
\nembezzled from the 2002 budget.<\/p>\n
Lampung Parliament Watch (LPW) coordinator Wahyu Sasongko said
\nthe amounts allocated for the council's expenses had violated
\nGovernment Regulation No. 110\/2000 on the financial status of
\nregional councils.<\/p>\n
In the 2002 budget, the Lampung legislature increased its
\nroutine expenditure to 32 percent, which included travel expenses
\nthat were raised from Rp 3 billion to Rp 7 billion, and the sum
\nof Rp 4 billion for life insurance for all 75 legislators.<\/p>\n
University of Lampung economist Asrian Hendicaya said that
\nless than 15 percent of the budget benefited local people due to
\nunresolved corruption within government projects.<\/p>\n
He said the composition of the 2001 and 2002 provincial
\nbudgets -- 67.54 percent for routine spending and 32.45 percent
\nfor development -- showed a lack of proper balance by the
\nadministration in providing public services and generating
\nrevenues.<\/p>\n
\"There are indications that regional administrations in the
\nautonomy era aim purely to raise as much revenue as possible,
\nwhile neglecting their function as providers of public services,\"
\nAsrian said.<\/p>\n
A few months ago, a district court jailed almost all 55
\nmembers of the West Sumatra council for graft. They remain free
\nhowever, pending appeal.<\/p>\n
Similar collective scams have also been revealed at many other
\nlocal councils around Indonesia.<\/p>",
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