A not too pleasant surprise

A not too pleasant surprise

When I read the article Government steps up anticorruption
campaign on the front page of the July 7 edition, my reaction
could not be described as anything but surprise, happiness and
pride that at last the government was going in the right
direction. The government has uncovered 3,025 cases of corruption
that cost the state Rp 7.21 trillion in losses.

Starting from May 20, 2000, high officials will be obliged to
declare their assets, according to Minister of Justice Muladi. I
presume minister Muladi felt proud to announce this new
regulation, which is not new at all, because during Soeharto's
regime all officials were obliged to declare their wealth and the
wealth of their families. But usually regulations are issued as a
fashion and are just to be conveniently forgotten.

But fighting corruption is not a matter of how many decrees or
regulations the government issues, or how many nongovernmental
bodies are created, but a matter of strong political will and
determination of the government and whether it has the courage to
act irrespective of the position of the accused. The same
treatment should be applied to friends and foes.

Recently there was a case of corruption supposedly involving
the Indonesian attorney general, reported by the Indonesian
Corruption Watch (ICW). Although slow according to the people,
the government had the courage to act and the attorney general
was temporarily dismissed from his position.

Now under the very nose of the central government, a report
appeared on page 3 of The Jakarta Post of July 7. The minister of
home affairs should act on this and take steps to investigate the
report. What Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso did smells of corruption,
misusing funds for his personal benefit.

Government funds have reportedly been used to pay for his
child's education abroad and to buy 20 luxury cars. The very
first reaction we will read in newspapers is a denial, which is a
very common thing.

Sutiyoso, besides his salary of Rp 2.5 million, receives
"honorary fees" from at least 17 city owned firms. Suppose each
firm pays Rp 2 million a month, then he has an extra income of Rp
34 million a month. Without realizing it I begin to water at the
mouth.

Readers will be more surprised when they read Media
Indonesia's report of June 24, 1998, page 5, that the Jakarta
legislative council (DPRD) allocated Rp 11.2 billion for the
governor to spend in one year (repeat one year). For his
household expenses, the DPRD DKI allocated Rp 8.2 billion
annually, or about Rp 600 million a month. It is a surprise that
he is still healthy, while overeating every day. For his
clothing, the allocation is Rp 105 million, almost Rp 9 million a
month; the maintenance of official cars about Rp 175 million; Rp
200 million for his official travel expenses, and this is only
for traveling around Jakarta. Why would Sutiyoso need to use
other government funds?

I think the central government (the Attorney General's Office)
should take steps to investigate this matter, based of course on
the principle of presumption of innocence. This case would be
easier because Sutiyoso at this moment, I think, is a civilian.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta