Mayor says he will step up probe on corruption<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amidst allegations that a number of military and
\ncivil servants of the East Jakarta administration were involved
\nin a corruption case, Mayor Sudarsono said yesterday that he will
\nstep up efforts to overcome the problem.<\/p>\n
Sudarsono, however, declined to give details of the
\ndevelopment of the investigation, saying that he will tell the
\nmedia about the case after cooling down the tense situation.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports said that six government officials and four
\nmilitary officers had received free plots of land in the Pondok
\nKopi area, East Jakarta, from PT Mas Naga Raya real estate
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
The total 1.3-hectare plot in the housing area was initially
\nintended to be kept as a public area, a must for every developer,
\nwhich would include a park and a mosque.<\/p>\n
Analysts have repeatedly said that Jakarta needs a lot of
\npublic space following complaints that children, as well as other
\nresidents of the capital, have inadequate playing grounds, parks
\nand other environmentally healthy zones.<\/p>\n
Sudarsono, however, added on Sunday that two of his staff
\nmembers had already received the plots as \"rations\" from PT Mas
\nNaga Raya, but returned them after the controversy caused by the
\nmedia.<\/p>\n
He added that the Jakarta Inspectorate's Office had been
\ninvited to probe into the case following the allegation that an
\nofficial of the East Jakarta Inspectorate's Office was also
\ninvolved in the scandal.<\/p>\n
The management of PT Mas Naga Raya, whose office is on Jl.
\nCemara Raya Kav. K-1 in Bekasi, West Java, however, was not
\navailable for comment over the past two days.<\/p>\n
A staff member of the firm said in a telephone conversation
\nwith The Jakarta Post yesterday that the management is still
\nconsolidating the data on the land use of the Mas Naga Raya real
\nestate.<\/p>\n
He declined to mention the full name of the firm's president,
\nits shareholders, or the reason behind such a controversy.<\/p>\n
The report said that some alleged corruptors received 200-
\nsquare-meter plots, while others received 300, or 500-square-
\nmeter parcels.<\/p>\n
Ismet S. Hasan, the head of Duren Sawit district, said
\nyesterday that the mayor of East Jakarta had conducted a meeting
\nwith officials as well as the management of the firm over the
\nissue.<\/p>\n
Ismet, however, declined to give details, saying that the
\nmayor had told all of his men not to give information to the
\npress.<\/p>\n
\"You have better ask the mayor himself. He was feeling
\nuncomfortable with the latest development,\" he said, apparently
\nreferring to the remark of Governor Surjadi Soedirdja on Monday
\nwho will question the mayor over the case.<\/p>\n
Real estate<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Nugroho Suksmanto, the chairman of the Jakarta-
\nchapter of Real Estate Indonesia (REI), said yesterday that he
\nwill probably question the management of PT Mas Naga Raya over
\nthe allegation.<\/p>\n
\"If the member of my organization is right, of course I have
\nto stand by his side. It is the duty of an organization to
\nprotect its members,\" Nugroho said, adding that he had not
\nreceived any reports about mismanagement in the real estate firm.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Frans Hendra Winarta, however, said yesterday that it
\nis a custom here for real estate companies to prepare \"rations\"
\nfor their official counterparts to help eliminate red tape.<\/p>\n
Referring to an official oath, Frans said that civil servants
\nare strictly prohibited from taking any gifts or services from
\nthe public.<\/p>\n
\"However, things are totally different between aspirations and
\nrealities. Corruption is one of the biggest problems in
\nIndonesia,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Nugroho said that the result of any wrongdoing by any member
\nof REI is an internal sanction.<\/p>\n
Councilors from various parties also urged the government to
\ntake firm measures against corrupt officials. (09)<\/p>",
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