Megawati yet to have wealth verified<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In contrast to her strong criticism of the poor performance of
\nthe bureaucracy, President Megawati Soekarnoputri -- who should
\nbe setting a good example to all other state officials -- is
\nreported to have not yet set aside time for the verification of
\nher wealth declaration.<\/p>\n
Abdullah Hehamahua, deputy chairman of the Public Servants'
\nWealth Audit Commission (KPKPN), said that in October of last
\nyear the President had made a promise to meet with the KPKPN just
\nafter returning from a visit to the U.S., but to date the promise
\nhad yet to be fulfilled.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by KPKPN executives Chaerul Imam and Muchayat,
\nHehamahua said that the KPKPN chairman, Yusuf Syakir, had sent a
\nletter to Megawati and her husband Taufik Kiemas, a legislator of
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan),
\nlast week, urging them to arrange a time for the verification of
\ntheir declarations, but no response had been received as yet.<\/p>\n
\"We had planned to send one team from the KPKPN's legislature
\nsubcommission and one from the executive subcommission to verify
\nthe declarations submitted by the President and her husband. But
\nas they never responded, we are going to send a second letter to
\nremind them,\" Hehamahua said at the KPKPN's new offices in
\nCentral Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Such verification was needed to determine whether Megawati and
\nTaufik had declared all of their assets, and whether any of their
\nassets had been obtained improperly, Hehamahua added.<\/p>\n
Megawati and Taufik Kiemas had earlier stated their total net
\nworth as being Rp 59 billion (US$4.7 million), and claimed to
\nhave accumulated their wealth through their family businesses,
\nincluding a number of gas stations throughout the capital city of
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
The KPKPN, nevertheless, has insisted on summoning dozens of
\nofficials and legislators, including Megawati and Taufik, to seek
\nclarification about what they listed on their wealth declarations
\nas gifts received from third parties.<\/p>\n
Hehamahua also said that the KPKPN was still verifying the
\nwealth declaration of the speaker of the House of
\nRepresentatives, Akbar Tandjung. He refused, however, to reveal
\nany details.<\/p>\n
Hehamahua further said that the KPKPN believed that five out
\nof the 126 legislators from the House and the People's
\nConsultative Assembly whose declarations had been checked were
\nbelieved to have obtained at least some of their wealth through
\ncorruption, collusion, and nepotism.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Chaerul Imam said that four out of 60 judicial
\nofficials whose declarations had been verified were also believed
\nto be closely linked to improper practices.<\/p>\n
However, both Hehamahua and Chaerul refused to disclose their
\nnames, saying that the KPKPN would hold further discussions on
\nthe matter at its plenary meeting on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
This plenary meeting is also scheduled to formulate the
\nmechanism for publishing the names of the remaining 197
\nlegislators who have yet to declare their assets. Reportedly,
\nFahmi Idris of Golkar, Zulfan Lindan of the PDI-Perjuangan and
\nall of the chairmen of the House commissions are on the list of
\nnon-compliant legislators.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-yet-to-have-wealth-verified-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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