SEAG consortium refuses to repay reforestation funds<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The 19th Southeast Asian Games underwriting
\nconsortium has refused to repay the reforestation funds it
\nreportedly used for the sporting event.<\/p>\n
The consortium's promotion and business deputy, Enggartiasto
\nLukita, said yesterday that the consortium had not known the
\nsource of the funds lent from the government for the games last
\nyear until secretary of the Ministry of Forestry and Plantations,
\nOetomo, unveiled it last week.<\/p>\n
\"We didn't know the loan was from the reforestation funds. We
\njust knew that the money came from the minister\/state secretary,\"
\nEnggartiasto told a hearing with House of Representatives
\nCommission VII on education, religion, sport and youth affairs
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Enggartiasto was accompanying State Minister of Youth Affairs
\nand Sports Agung Laksono in the hearing.<\/p>\n
Oetomo claimed over the weekend that the consortium owed the
\nMinistry of Forestry and Plantations Rp 35 billion (US$2.5
\nmillion) from interest earned on the country's reforestation
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
He said the order to channel the funds to the consortium to
\nfinance the Games came directly from the state secretary through
\na presidential decree.<\/p>\n
Agung shrugged his shoulders yesterday, saying he had no idea
\nabout the matter.<\/p>\n
\"I can't give any comment because I haven't seen the
\npresidential decree. I want to check the decree first. But, if
\nit's true, I will urge the consortium to return the money soon
\nbecause it's a part of the state budget,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Enggartiasto said the funds had been spent to cover the
\ntraining program for national athletes participating in the
\nevent.<\/p>\n
He said the consortium had never planned to default on its
\ndebts.<\/p>\n
\"We also borrowed Rp 23 billion from banks with 80 percent
\ninterest thanks to the National Sports Council's help. We want to
\nreturn the money soon but unfortunately we don't have the ability
\nto do so,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The consortium, chaired by ex-president Soeharto's son Bambang
\nTrihatmodjo, was Rp 61.725 billion in debt as of the end of May,
\ndown Rp 2.275 billion from its April report.<\/p>\n
It raised Games funds by selling stickers to public utilities
\ncustomers, airplane passengers and car owners renewing their
\ndriver's licenses or extending vehicle registration documents.<\/p>\n
The consortium reportedly earned Rp 87.9 billion, but spent Rp
\n156 billion -- far above its projected Rp 75 billion budget.<\/p>\n
Enggartiasto said the consortium had requested a debt write-
\noff from the Gelora Senayan management board.<\/p>\n
\"We still owe them Rp 3.5 billion from the rental of the
\nSenayan sports venues, but we've asked the board to write it off.
\nWe built a Rp 1 billion synthetic hockey field and handed over a
\nRp 2.5 billion sound system to the management,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, House member Syafrie Hutauruk questioned the
\nconsortium's report on the City revenue agency's earnings, which
\nit said amounted to a low Rp 13 million.<\/p>\n
\"It doesn't make sense if the agency only managed to pull in
\nRp 13 million while the state electricity company PLN raised Rp
\n2.8 billion. I want the commission's chairman to set up a special
\nteam to investigate this case,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Enggartiasto said that some of the money collected by the
\nagency was embezzled by five of the consortium's staff members,
\nnow being investigated by the police. Two of them were arrested
\nin May, while the other three are still at large. (yan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/seag-consortium-refuses-to-repay-reforestation-funds-1447893297",
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