Team formed to probe councillors' foreign trip<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The City Prosecutors Office has formed a team to
\ninvestigate the Rp 4 billion (US$425,500) fund from the Ancol
\nleisure complex developer which had been used to finance a trip
\nfor six councillors and 11 city officials to Cape Town in South
\nAfrica.<\/p>\n
\"Assistance for Intelligence Unit to Jakarta Prosecutor Office
\nTeuku Dasril lead the team and will finish the investigation
\nwithin 30-days. After that we will start to summon some of the
\nofficials for the case,\" chief of the office, Fachri Nasution
\ntold journalists on Thursday.<\/p>\n
If the results of the internal probe indicate corruption, his
\noffice would ask the permission of the Ministry of Home Affairs
\nand Regional Autonomy to summon the councillors, he said.<\/p>\n
He was referring to Law No.4\/1999 on composition and position
\nof the legislative body, which stipulates that permission is
\nrequired from the minister of home affairs to summon councillors
\nin such a legal procedure.<\/p>\n
\"We will do that if the case turns out to be a corruption
\ncase. We'll wait and see over the next 30 days,\" he said,<\/p>\n
During the investigation, he added, the team members will
\nquestion every city official related to the case as quickly as
\npossible.<\/p>\n
PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, the developer of Ancol, reportedly
\nfinanced the overseas trips of six councillors from Commission D
\non Development Affairs last month, although the city budget had
\nallocated some Rp 13 billion for such official trips for the
\ncouncillors.<\/p>\n
The case came under the spotlight of the local media in the
\npast few weeks, forcing both Governor Sutiyoso and City Council
\nSpeaker Edy Waluyo to summon PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol board of
\ndirectors for clarification over the case.<\/p>\n
According to the tentative schedule, executives of the
\ndeveloper should have met with councillors from Commission B on
\nEconomic Affairs on Thursday.<\/p>\n
But Edy abruptly postponed the hearing for an indefinite
\nperiod.<\/p>\n
The company had reportedly admitted earlier to having financed
\nthe overseas trips of 45 people, including 14 councillors, to
\nAustralia, Japan and South Africa to study city waterfront
\nprojects, as the company may construct a similar project in the
\nAncol area of North Jakarta within five to 10 years.<\/p>\n
However, the company's president director Rushadi said later
\nthat the expenditure was only US$240,000 and they were going to
\nshare the cost with PT Pelindo II, which manages the Tanjung
\nPriok international seaport.<\/p>\n
Pelindo II Spokesman Sujarwo told journalists on Thursday that
\nthe company has yet to pay its share but basically agreed to do
\nso.<\/p>\n
PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol is part of the PT Pembangunan Jaya
\nchain, of which more than 80 percent shares are owned by the city
\nadministration. Sutiyoso is the chief commissioner of PT
\nPembangunan Jaya. Tycoon Ciputra owns the rest of the company's
\nshares.<\/p>\n
City Development Planning Board Chief Bambang Sungkono, who
\njoined the trip and allegedly received some US$10,000 from PT
\nPembangunan Jaya Ancol, admitted that he proposed the trip and
\nknew about the joint financing.<\/p>\n
\"But back then the councillors did not argue, so why do they
\nhave to mention my name now?,\" Bambang said.<\/p>\n
According to Commission D Chairman Sayogo Hendrosubroto, the
\ncouncil budget was not adequate to finance the South Africa trip
\nwhile at the same time both Ancol and the city administration
\npushed them to go.<\/p>\n
\"Ancol executives and Bambang urged us to go. Due to the lack
\nof funds, we let them pay for the rest of the expenses because we
\ncould only afford to give some Rp 52 million per person per
\ntrip,\" Sayogo explained. (dja)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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