Leaving councilors refuse to return loaned items<\/p>\n
TANGERANG (JP): Former Tangerang Council legislators are
\npresenting a series of problems to the local administration, a
\nmunicipality spokesman said on Friday.<\/p>\n
At least 11 of them are refusing to return official cars lent
\nto them as legislators during their two-year term. Furniture,
\nincluding dining tables, chairs and cupboards, have been reported
\nas missing from their official residences at the Bumi Berhias
\nhousing complex in Jatiuwung district.<\/p>\n
\"The items are the inventory of the administration office and
\nnobody owns them,\" said Tangerang Municipality spokesman Said
\nEndrawiyanto.<\/p>\n
\"If they (the former legislators) keep on refusing (to return
\nthe belongings), the Municipality Office will first warn them
\nbefore taking stiff measures, such as seizing (items) or
\nreporting the case to the police,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Most of the 45 seats on the Tangerang Council have been taken
\nover by newly elected members from the June 7 General Election.<\/p>\n
Tangerang Council members are usually offered the use of a car
\nand provided an official house at a complex on Jl. Kiansantang
\nfor the duration of their five-year terms.<\/p>\n
The latest batch of ex-legislators were stripped of their
\noffice perks on Aug. 31 after only a two-year period, due to
\noverwhelming demands for reforms, which also led to former
\npresident Soeharto relinquishing his grip on power last year.<\/p>\n
When asked to comment on the matter, one of the former
\nlegislators, Gusti Ratam of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\nsaid: \"Why make such a big fuss out of it? We've only been
\ninactive for a month, and there's no official letter saying that
\nwe must return the cars.\"<\/p>\n
Gusti obtained a Toyota Kijang van as his official vehicle.<\/p>\n
\"There's not even enough parking space at the Council
\nbuilding. So in the meantime, I will use the car. That's it ...
\ndo not ask me anything more,\" Gusti said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Asked about missing furniture in the legislators' offices,
\nGusti said he was unaware of the problem.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know who took that stuff. Well, the newly appointed
\nlegislators must be given new items, not old things.\"<\/p>\n
Said said the Municipality Office was making an inventory of
\nthe \"missing\" items, and that the report would be promptly
\nsubmitted to the mayor.<\/p>\n
\"So far, we haven't calculated the total losses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Said asked the legislators to return the items on their own
\ninitiatives.<\/p>\n
\"They should use their own conscious to return the cars, as
\nthe administration does not have an adequate budget to provide
\nbrand new items.\"<\/p>\n
He suggested that it would be unethical to force legislators
\nto return the goods.<\/p>\n
\"But we may take necessary action in dealing with the matter.\"<\/p>\n
The municipality has 45 new legislators from nine parties, as
\nwell as Indonesian Military and National Police representatives.
\n(41\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leaving-councilors-refuse-to-return-loaned-items-1447893297",
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