Relief aid embezzlement to be probed<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives disciplinary body is expected to
\nsoon begin an investigation into graft allegations surrounding
\ndisaster aid involving legislators and top regional officials,
\nfollowing the publication of two documents that detailed the
\n\"sale\" of aid budgets last week.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Agung Laksono said the House leadership had
\nofficially written to its disciplinary body to request an
\ninvestigation into the claims, along with copies of the two
\ndocuments and newspaper reports of the matter.<\/p>\n
\"We urge the disciplinary body to make progress on this issue
\nbefore the House goes into recess at the end of this month,\"
\nAgung said on Monday.<\/p>\n
The disciplinary body can only look into issues involving
\nHouse members after it receives an official report from the House
\nleadership or an official complaint from a member of the public.<\/p>\n
The body, which consists of representatives from all 10 House
\nfactions, has limited powers to discipline members and is not
\nrequired to pass on criminal allegations to police. It may issue
\neither a written reprimand to legislators, remove members from
\nchairmanship positions in House commissions, or dismiss them from
\nthe House.<\/p>\n
To investigate legislators, the police need the go-ahead from
\nthe President unless the allegations involve corruption or
\nterrorism.<\/p>\n
At least two documents were published last week, detailing
\ninformation about the alleged \"sales\" of 2005 aid budgets by
\nlegislators to the heads of regional administrations.<\/p>\n
The documents allege that legislators, particularly certain
\nmembers of the House budgetary committee, are offering billions
\nof rupiah in extra relief funds to regents or mayors in disaster-
\nstruck areas in return for a hefty fee taken from the funds.<\/p>\n
House budgetary committee chairman Emir Moeis has denied the
\nallegations, saying that the documents were anonymous and lacked
\nevidence to back them up.<\/p>\n
However, Emir admitted on Monday that it was certainly
\npossible legislators could collude with local regional heads to
\nembezzle relief funds.<\/p>\n
\"But I've never heard of ... such a thing. Thus, we plan to
\ndelay our deliberations on relief funds until the government re-
\nchecks the amount of the funds,\" Emir said.<\/p>\n
Regents and mayors submitted proposals for disaster relief
\nbudgets to the government through the National Coordinating
\nAgency (Bakornas) and the Ministry of Finance, which later
\ndeliberated the decisions with the House committee.<\/p>\n
Emir said it was common and reasonable for House members to
\nfight for the highest possible amounts of aid for their areas.<\/p>\n
\"If I see damaged places or infrastructure in my area of
\norigin, it's only natural and it's not wrong if I want the place
\nto receive the most funds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The documents accuse several House members of \"coordinating\"
\nfunds for provinces, regencies and cities in their areas.<\/p>\n
The documents also lists several people involved in the
\nalleged graft that are not House members. \"That's why I said the
\ndocuments are false,\" Emir said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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