Administration accused of rife graft
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.