Wealth declarations must be verified, say experts<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Experts see the announcement of public servants'
\nwealth as a good start in fighting corruption, but say it will
\ntake time before any effect is seen.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association chairman
\nHendardi said on Saturday that announcing official's wealth would
\nbe useless unless it was followed by investigation.<\/p>\n
\"If it is aimed at fighting corruption, there should be a
\nfollow up like an investigation to find evidence (of the
\naccuracy),\" he told The Jakarta Post over the phone.<\/p>\n
\"If not, what's the use of announcing someone's wealth?\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Hendardi was referring to an announcement made by the Public
\nServants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The commission presented a list of assets of 47 public
\nservants, including President Abdurrahman Wahid and Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
The list was based on forms which the public servants filled
\nout.<\/p>\n
Megawati and her husband, legislator Taufik Kiemas, topped the
\nlist with total assets of Rp 59.809 billion (US$5.4 million).<\/p>\n
The assets include cash, land, buildings, vehicles and eight
\ngas stations.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Abdurrahman ranks number eight with total assets of
\nsome Rp 3.5 billion.<\/p>\n
Almost half of the assets, or some Rp 1.722 billion, are
\nprecious stones and metals, art and antiques which Abdurrahman
\nsaid he was given from 1999, when he was elected president, to
\n2000.<\/p>\n
According to Hendardi, assets in the form of gifts is
\nquestionable and can lead to an investigation.<\/p>\n
\"The President received the gifts in the first year of his
\npresidency. It is questionable,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legal expert Harkristuti Harkrisnowo from
\nUniversity of Indonesia said that the President's wealth was
\nrelatively small.<\/p>\n
\"The point is, it's what the commission got and we don't see
\nthe details so we don't know about the accuracy,\" she told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
The commission, she added, should publicly announce what it
\ndoes with the list.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Harkristuti said that there was nothing much that
\ncould be done in regard to the list.<\/p>\n
\"Next year when the commission shows the list of public
\nservants' wealth, we can do something. We'll see if there are any
\nsurprising increases in wealth,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Separately, a legal sociologist from Semarang's University of
\nDiponegoro, Satjipto Rahardjo, said that government officials'
\nwealth should have been announced before they were appointed.<\/p>\n
\"There are more political aspects in the announcement of
\nwealth,\" he said without elaborating.<\/p>\n
Satjipto said that the commission should consist of
\nprofessional accountants so that it would be easy for them to
\ncross-check the list.<\/p>\n
Similar to Satjipto, Harkristuti questioned the capability of
\nthe commission as it was made up of people who passed a fit-and-
\nproper test set by the House of Representatives. As they are not
\nprofessional, the public should not expect too much from them,
\nshe said.<\/p>\n
Hendardi criticized the composition of the commission, saying
\nit was designed simply to satisfy political parties by putting
\ntheir people on the commission.<\/p>\n
As for the rest of the officials who have yet to return the
\nforms to the commission, Hendardi said that it proved that the
\nwill to fight corruption, collusion and nepotism was still low.<\/p>\n
Many officials, including House Speaker Akbar Tandjung and
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, have not
\nreturned their forms listing their assets, saying that they are
\nstill in recess. Some have complained that it takes time to fill
\nout the form while others claim they received their forms late
\ndue to technical matters.<\/p>\n
\"When it comes to their own wealth, they are still reluctant,\"
\nHendardi said.<\/p>\n
Harkristuti said that the officials should be given more time.<\/p>\n
\"If they haven't submitted it by now, then it should be
\nannounced publicly so that they are embarrassed. That is, if they
\nstill can feel embarrassment,\" she said.(hdn)<\/p>",
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