Governor said to conceal more wealth<\/p>\n
Yuliansyah, The Jakarta Post, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan<\/p>\n
The State Officials' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) came to the
\nconclusion that South Kalimantan Governor Sjachriel Darham had
\nconcealed his wealth and should, therefore, be dismissed.<\/p>\n
In a meeting with local councillors over the weekend, KPKPN
\nChairman Jusuf Syakir said that the governor was not honest in
\nreporting his assets.<\/p>\n
\"KPKPN found out that some of his assets were not mentioned in
\nthe report,\" councillor Farid Wajedi from the United Development
\nParty (PPP) said after the meeting.<\/p>\n
However, he refused to disclose which assets were missing from
\nhis report.<\/p>\n
The KPKPN investigation followed reports from a group of non-
\ngovernmental organizations which said Sjachriel possessed five
\nluxurious houses in Jakarta, Malang and Banjarmasin and several
\nluxury cars that he failed to report to the wealth audit
\ncommission following his inauguration as governor in 2001.<\/p>\n
KPKPN has also written Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno,
\nsuggesting that he dismiss Sjachriel.<\/p>\n
The provincial legislature also submitted a similar letter to
\nthe home minister last year, following its no-confidence vote
\nagainst the governor. The central government has simply refused
\nto respond and still considers Sjachriel the legitimate governor.<\/p>\n
However, the recommendation from the KPKPN has sparked a rift
\namong the councillors, with some members of PPP faction vowing to
\ndefend Sjachriel. The governor was nominated by the Muslim-based
\nparty during an election in 2001.<\/p>\n
The provincial legislature's deputy speaker Syamsuri Darham of
\nPPP said the demand for Sjachriel's dismissal was unfair as
\nseveral other officials in the province had not even submitted
\nthe wealth reports yet to KPKPN.<\/p>\n
He insisted that the governor be given a chance to complete
\nhis wealth report as there was the possibility that Sjachriel had
\nforgotten how many houses and cars he owns.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, many other officials even failed to submit their
\nwealth report. So why does KPKPN target Sjachriel?\" Syamsuri, who
\nis the governor's brother in-law, wondered.<\/p>\n
He further suggested that the council wait for the results of
\nthe ongoing legal process in Sjachriel's case before deciding the
\npolitical status of the governor.<\/p>\n
Syamsuri's statement was immediately refuted by the
\nlegislature's speaker Mansyah, who said the council would take
\naction to follow up on the KPKPN recommendation.<\/p>\n
\"We will establish a special investigation commission and
\ngather more information regarding the allegations,\" Mansyah of
\nGolkar Party remarked.<\/p>\n
Bachruddin Syarkawie, another deputy speaker representing the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said
\nthat the KPKPN had solid data to support its findings.<\/p>\n
He said he would support the establishment of a special
\ncommittee to investigate the governor, saying it was entirely
\nconsistent with the Law No. 28\/1999 on clean government.<\/p>",
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