Probe demanded for past corruption cases<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Legislators proposed on Wednesday that the House
\nof Representatives (DPR) probe past major corruption cases,
\nincluding the alleged misappropriation of Rp 144 trillion
\n(US$14.6 billion) Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) funds
\nand corruption at several projects of state-owned oil and gas
\ncompany Pertamina.<\/p>\n
Legislator Tari Siwi Utami said while addressing a House
\nplenary session that the reason to conduct a probe into the cases
\nwas because they contributed disproportionately to the downfall
\nof the country's economy.<\/p>\n
\"The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has reported that 98 percent
\nof BLBI funds have been misused and the government has to
\ncontinue paying the debts because of its decision to support the
\nweakening national banks,\" Tari, a legislator from the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB) faction, told the session.<\/p>\n
She cited that the legal basis of the investigation was Law
\nNo. 28\/1999 on clean government and Law No. 4\/1999 on ranks and
\nposition of legislators who possess the right to conduct
\ninvestigations.<\/p>\n
\"The goals of the investigation are to uphold the supremacy of
\nthe law, to take account of state finances, to speed up the
\nreturn of funds and to create a clean government,\" Tari said in
\nthe session, presided over by deputy House speaker Soetardjo
\nSoerjogoeritno.<\/p>\n
The proposal has won the support of 107 legislators from
\nvarious factions. It was reported earlier that most of the
\ninitiators of the proposal were PKB legislators and their
\ncolleagues from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan).<\/p>\n
Also on Wednesday, legislators proposed an investigation into
\ncorruption cases connected with Pertamina that had caused
\ntrillions of rupiah in state losses.<\/p>\n
\"For example, in 1995-1996 there was a report of a corruption
\ncase in Pertamina that cost the country some Rp 82.6 billion, in
\n1996-1997 some Rp 476 billion and in 1997-1998 some Rp 1.3
\ntrillion,\" Achmad Satibi, also from PKB, told a later House
\nplenary session.<\/p>\n
He said in the session, presided over by deputy House speaker
\nA.M. Fatwa, that the proposal won the support of 119 legislators
\nfrom various factions.<\/p>\n
The House has increasingly used its right to investigate
\ncertain high-profile cases in the country, the most widely
\nsupported so far has been the investigation into President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid's alleged involvement in the Rp 35 billion
\nscandal at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and the unaccounted
\nfor US$2 million donation from Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.<\/p>\n
The House finally censured Abdurrahman late last January and
\nagreed to issue a memorandum, that could lead to an impeachment
\nof the President. (dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/probe-demanded-for-past-corruption-cases-1447893297",
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