NGOs demand probe into Muna regent on graft cases<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi and Hasrul, Jakarta\/Kendari<\/p>\n
A group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) urged the
\nCorruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday to
\ninvestigate an alleged Rp 7 billion (US$777,000) corruption case
\ninvolving Muna Regent Ridwan Bae.<\/p>\n
The NGOs, including the Indonesian Forum for the Environment
\n(Walhi) and Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), alleged that Ridwan
\nwas involved in auctions of illegally cut teakwood in 2002 and
\n2003, which caused Rp 15 billion in state losses.<\/p>\n
ICW deputy coordinator Danang Widoyoko said prosecutors in
\nSoutheast Sulawesi regency had brought three local administration
\nofficials to court, but were unable to question the regent
\nbecause they had not received permission from the President.<\/p>\n
The anticorruption commission is allowed to question high-
\nranking government officials, including regents, without
\npresidential consent.<\/p>\n
\"Muna regency auctioned 12 million cubic meters of illegal
\nteakwood valued at Rp 15 billion in 2002 and 2003, but the regent
\nonly reported Rp 8 billion in his accountability speech last
\nyear,\" Danang said.<\/p>\n
The chairman of Walhi's Southeast Sulawesi chapter, La Ode
\nOta, alleged Ridwan knew about and endorsed the auctioning of
\nillegally cut teakwood.<\/p>\n
\"Based on court testimony, it appears the regent has legalized
\nillegal logging. The regency engineered the logging,\" Ota said.<\/p>\n
He said officials in the regency's forestry office allegedly
\nordered local residents to cut down teak trees on 4,000 hectares
\nof forest in the regency.<\/p>\n
He said the felled trees, which were left in the forest by the
\nresidents, were then seized by the forestry office and declared
\nillegal, allowing the officials to auction them.<\/p>\n
\"Most of the teakwood logs were sold in auctions to certain
\ncompanies. Most of the companies come from Java, including Jepara
\n(in Central Java), which is known for its teakwood handicrafts,\"
\nOta said.<\/p>\n
In Muna, Regent Ridwan denied the accusations, saying no state
\nrevenue was lost from the teakwood auctions.<\/p>\n
\"The Rp 17 billion raised from the auctions all went into the
\nstate's coffers. We have the documents, including all of the
\nbills from the auction. I do not understand why some people would
\nmake these allegations,\" Ridwan said.<\/p>\n
He suspected attempts to link him to a corruption case were
\npolitically motivated.<\/p>\n
\"I have explained everything to the public many times, but
\nthey keep on suspecting me,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also said the NGOs should have sought confirmation from him
\nbefore going public with the allegations.<\/p>\n
\"A big institution like the ICW should not blow this case out
\nof proportion. They should have come here to seek proof of the
\nalleged corruption instead of taking a certain party's report for
\ngranted,\" said Ridwan, whose five-year term ends this year.<\/p>\n
He said there had been attempts by individuals to undermine
\nhis administration, one of those individuals being a dismissed
\nGolkar councillor who was the first to raise the graft
\nallegation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ngos-demand-probe-into-muna-regent-on-graft-cases-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}