Irregularities admitted in statue project<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso was away at the Indonesia
\nProvincial Administrations Association (APPSI) meeting in Banda
\nAceh, Jakarta Parks Agency head Mauritz Napitupulu admitted
\nprocedural irregularities by the city administration in the
\nconstruction of Gen. Soedirman statue.<\/p>\n
Mauritz told a press conference at the City Hall on Wednesday
\nthat his agency had appointed PT Patria Mega Komunika as the
\ncontractor without a tender process after Sutiyoso approved the
\nproposal submitted by a company led by Nurhadi, a grandson of
\nSoedirman.<\/p>\n
\"The governor had agreed that the project was to be
\nimplemented by relatives of Gen. Soedirman. Therefore, PT Patria
\nMega Komunika was directly named for the project,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The presidential decree No. 17\/2000 on the procurement for
\ngovernment projects states that all projects must be announced
\npublicly and go through a tender process.<\/p>\n
A direct appointment can only be implemented if the project is
\nworth less than Rp 50 million (US$5,882) or must be implemented
\nin an emergency situation.<\/p>\n
The Soedirman statue, located on the median strip of Jl. Jend.
\nSudirman in the Dukuh Atas area of Central Jakarta, did not meet
\nthose conditions.<\/p>\n
Mauritz also said that the Jakarta administration had changed
\nthe size of the two billboards that were leased to the contractor
\nas part of the compensation package, from eight meters by 16
\nmeters to 10 meters by 20 meters.<\/p>\n
The billboards, which Patria Mega Komunika leased for Rp 10
\nbillion (Rp 6.5 billion in cash and Rp 3.5 billion for the statue
\nconstruction), were how the city apparently paid for the
\nSoedirman project. There are 163 city-owned billboards across the
\ncity and the size and locations have been decided in a
\ngubernatorial decree.<\/p>\n
Mauritz admitted that Sutiyoso did not issue a new decree to
\nchange the size of the billboards.<\/p>\n
\"The governor agreed to change the size of the boards after he
\nconsulted officials from the City Spatial Agency and other
\nofficials,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nurhadi told the press that his company had proposed the
\nlarger billboards due to \"market demand\". He said that his
\nclients would only be interested in the advertising space if the
\nthey were 10 meters by 20 meters.<\/p>\n
The two billboards are located on the right and left hand
\nsides of the main thoroughfare, near the statue.<\/p>\n
Mauritz also strongly denied the mark up allegation as
\nreported by Jakarta Development Watch (Jadewa) to police on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
He said he had his suspicions that the allegation against him
\nwas made because \"certain parties\" were upset over rejected
\nproposals.<\/p>\n
\"When I am summoned by the police, I will explain the project
\ntransparently,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mauritz said that he would not make any legal effort to
\ncounter Jadewa, which reported him to the police.<\/p>\n
Jadewa's executive director Santoso AS had said that based on
\nhis NGO's estimation, the Soedirman statue should only have been
\nvalued at around Rp 1.79 billion, much lower than the estimated
\nRp 3.5 billion.<\/p>\n
The statue, which was inaugurated by Sutiyoso on Aug. 16, was
\ndesigned by Sunaryo, a sculptor from the Bandung Institute of
\nTechnology.<\/p>\n
The 4.5-ton statue standing on a 4.5-meter-high pedestal, was
\nconstructed at the request of his descendants. Soedirman was born
\nin 1912 in Bodas Karang Jati village, Rembang regency, Central
\nJava. He was a commander during the fight for independence, and
\nwas appointed chief of the Indonesian Military on Nov. 12, 1945.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/irregularities-admitted-in-statue-project-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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