Agency wavering in wealth audit
JAKARTA (JP): The agency tasked to audit the wealth of civil servants is apprehensive about looking into the wealth of top officials.
The Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) head Yusuf Syakir said here on Thursday that he was not sure the agency would be able to face high ranking officials such as the President, Vice President, Speakers of the People's Consultative Assembly and House of Representatives, legislators and ministers.
"Despite limited investigative authority, we still encounter psychological and cultural barriers in our investigation into high ranking officials whose assets have been questioned by the public," he said.
The agency has so far received wealth reports from 2,740 officials, including President Megawati Soekarnoputri and aims to audit only around 1,500 of the total reports this year.
Separately, Chairman of Muhammadiyah Youth Organization Imam Addaruquitni said after a meeting with Vice President Hamzah Haz that public accountability was very important and state officials should set an example by providing actual and transparent reports to the public of their wealth.
"There should be an investigation into all kinds of gifts (received by public servants), to ensure transparency in the wealth report," Hamzah said as quoted by Imam in the press conference.
Controversy over the "gifts" included in the public servants' wealth report surged following reports that many politicians and government officials received a huge number of gifts, without a clear explanation as to who gave it to them.
KPKPN is to investigate questionable assets gained by officials from third parties Yusuf said.
"We will start summoning their owners on Friday (today) in an attempt to seek clarification about where they gained them from," he told The Jakarta Post.
Syakir declined to identify the officials to be investigated on the grounds of the presumption of innocence, but conceded many have reported their assets they gained from third parties.
A number of officials, including former minister of finance Fuad Bawazier and House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Muhaimin Iskandar, have reportedly submitted the list of their assets, including those obtained from a third party.
"KPKPN will summon not only the officials but also the third parties as witnesses. The officials who are believed to have obtained their wealth through corrupt and collusive practices will undergo further investigation by police and prosecutors," he said.
Syakir explained that KPKPN has thus far audited the wealth of 160 officials, including President Megawati Soekarnoputri, House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais and Chief Justice Bagir Manan.
"So far, there isn't anything irregular about their assets," he said, adding that KPKPN would monitor the assets of state officials once every six months or annually in order to make sure that they gained their wealth "naturally".
Syakir, who was promoted by the United Development Party (PPP) to the top position at the commission, said KPKPN would maintain transparency while carrying out its tasks.
KPKPN has held a weekly media conference to announce the latest developments of its investigation, he said, urging the public to help detect any dishonesty among officials in announcing their wealth.
"We will provide protection for those who voluntarily report on corrupt, collusive and nepotistic practices," he said.
He added that KPKPN would cooperate with state universities in provinces to help KPKPN do its task of auditing wealth of public officials.
Despite a shortage of professional staff, the 25-member commission has strived to audit the wealth of hundreds of thousands of officials in central government, MPR/DPR, provincial and regency legislatures, the Indonesian Military, the National Police, courts, prosecutor's offices and state-owned companies, he said.
Syakir added that KPKPN would also cooperate with the Ministry of Finance to detect officials who failed to pay their income taxes in accordance with their wealth.
"Such cooperation is needed to help the government maximize its tax revenues," he said. (dja/rms)