Haryanto cleared of graft charges<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto cleared Minister of
\nTransportation Haryanto Dhanutirto yesterday of embezzlement
\ncharges and declared the case closed.<\/p>\n
Ending three weeks of speculation, Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono announced in his office that an investigation into the
\nallegations found that there were "administrative errors,
\nmistakes and improprieties".<\/p>\n
But, Moerdiono told journalists, "there is no evidence that
\nMinister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto has misused funds
\nbelonging to state enterprises."<\/p>\n
Haryanto has reimbursed the money from state enterprises that
\nhe used to pay for his family trips, he added.<\/p>\n
The investigation was conducted by Vice President Try Sutrisno
\nat the behest of the President and in response to reports by the
\nInspector General for Development Kentot Harseno alleging
\nembezzlement, nepotism, favoritism and mismanagement in
\nHaryanto's running of the ministry.<\/p>\n
Memos of Kentot's confidential reports, which were based on
\ninterviews with disgruntled upper-echelon ministry officials,
\nwere leaked and picked up by the media.<\/p>\n
Haryanto's cabinet portfolio gives him control over a number
\nof state enterprises, including flag carriers Garuda Indonesia
\nand Merpati Nusantara, the railway company PJKA and the companies
\nwhich manage the countries' ports and airports.<\/p>\n
The President, based on Try's findings, concluded that the
\ninspector general's reports contained "some truths, some truths
\nthat were not supported by strong evidence, and also allegations
\nbased on wrong conclusions," said Moerdiono.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said one of Haryanto's "administrative weaknesses"
\nwas in the way the minister awarded contracts, which, he said,
\nwas geared to go to certain bidders.<\/p>\n
There were also cases where contracts were awarded to
\ncompanies that were not competent or cases in which contractors
\nwere allowed to hike their prices, he said.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said the President had asked Haryanto once again "to
\nbe introspective" and to improve his handling of the ministry's
\nadministrative and financial procedures as well as the state
\ncompanies under his supervision.<\/p>\n
Haryanto was faulted for appropriating more than Rp 9 billion
\n(US$3.9 million) from state companies under his supervision to
\nfinance various ministry activities.<\/p>\n
This, Moerdiono said, is in violation of a 1983 regulation,
\nwhich states that under no circumstances should a state
\nenterprise be made to pay for activities of the ministry which
\nsupervises it.<\/p>\n
Responding to questions of a political motive behind the
\ndisclosure of the reports, Moerdiono said: "At first I did not
\nsee any political element."<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said a separate investigation into how the papers
\nwere leaked determined that the source of the leak was not from
\nthe State Secretariat, the staff of the Presidential residence or
\nthe Secretariat of the Vice Presidential office.<\/p>\n
"The investigation is still going on because a number of
\npeople who are in possession of documents they're not supposed to
\nhave are currently out of Jakarta," he said.<\/p>\n
Moerdiono said that there was nothing improper about Kentot's
\nconduct or the reports he wrote for the President, given that
\npart of the inspector general's job description is to act as the
\n"eyes and ears" of the President.<\/p>\n
"But if later it turns out that he (Kentot) was the one who
\nleaked the documents, he will be reprimanded," he said.<\/p>\n
A number of media publications which claim to have had access
\nto Kentot's confidential memos, say the list of allegations
\ninclude the removal of Anwar Supriyadi as PJKA president due to a
\npersonal disliking. Anwar, a highly-respected official, had been
\nquestioning the use of Perumka funds for the construction of
\nHaryanto's personal residence in Bandung.<\/p>\n
Also on the list was the alleged use of US$244,000 in funds
\nbelonging to Garuda by Haryanto's wife during a trip to Europe,
\nand the use of Rp 2.8 billion ($1.2 million) to pay for a racing
\ncar and a course in race-car driving for his son, Kikik, in the
\nUnited States.<\/p>\n
The press reports claimed that the minister rarely used Garuda
\nwhen traveling overseas, though the airline was expected to pick
\nup the tab for his trips. (emb)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/haryanto-cleared-of-graft-charges-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }