Administration accused of rife graft
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso is again under fire for the lack of action against his subordinates suspected of involvement in corruption.
Scrutinizing the governor's accountability speech on the 2003 city budget made before the City Council last week, a number of factions highlighted the low number of corruption allegations being handled by the city's internal audit agency (Bawasda).
Spokesman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction Ahmadi Hasan Ishak told the plenary season on Monday night to respond to the governor's speech, that the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has found 230 irregularities in the use of the budget.
"From that number, Bawasda has only followed up 30 cases, while 200 others were said to be still awaiting investigation. When can we be told the outcome of the investigation into the cases?," he asked.
According to Ishak, the city administration has also frequently turned a blind eye to public reports about alleged corruption committed by its officials. He accused Bawasda of not being serious in investigating cases involving them.
Spokesman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- P) faction Batu Tahan Marpaung said Bawasda had thus far not reported its findings and the result of its investigation to the council.
He argued that Bylaw No.8/2001 on city supervision states that Bawasda is obliged to report its work to the governor and it should also send a carbon copy of the documents to the council.
"But the PDI-P faction did not receive any information about the Bawasda report on the 2003 budget," he added.
Warsilah Sutrisno of the National Mandate Party (PAN) added that Law No.22/1999 on regional autonomy also empowered the councillors to seek information from government officials when it was in the public interest.
Therefore, she said, Bawasda had to immediately report its findings and the results of its investigation to the City Council.
Warsilah also criticized the administration for its sluggish efforts in combating corruption at the administration.
She argued that tough action against errant officials would be effective in eradicating rampant corruption.
"The administration's lack of seriousness in the campaign to fight corruption has made the city bureaucracy a fertile ground for practicing corruption," she added.
Meanwhile, Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction spokesman Syarifien Maloko said that corruption could be found at all levels of the bureaucracy, from provincial offices to subdistrict levels.
He added the administration had also failed to resolve the problem of widespread illegal fees taken from residents seeking services from city agencies, as well as those who ran informal businesses such as street vendors.