Akbar dismisses call for probe into alleged scams

JAKARTA (JP): Speaker of the House of Representatives Akbar Tandjung rejected calls by the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction for an investigation into an alleged financial leakage in the July 2000 House rehabilitation projects and the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference last September.

Akbar said he was not involved in the management of both projects.

"The PKB faction is allowed to propose the establishment of a special committee to investigate the alleged leakage in the two projects and to present them as a political issue.

"But, the proposal must be made in accordance with procedures at the legislative body," he said here on Wednesday.

Kholiq Achmad, secretary to the PKB faction, said on Tuesday that his faction would propose the establishment of a special committee to investigate the alleged leakage in the rehabilitation project of the House/People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) housing complex in Kalibata, South Jakarta, and the September 2000 IPU conference.

The rehabilitation project cost Rp 14 billion (US$1.4 million) and the IPU conference cost a further Rp 21 billion.

Akbar said he was not involved in the management of the two projects because they were directly handled by the House's Secretariat General.

He said the proposal was part of a systematic move by certain groups to discredit him, the Golkar Party and other critics of President Abdurrahman Wahid, including Amien Rais, chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

"A number of Golkar cadres in several regions have also received murder threats if Gus Dur is forced to step down," he said.

Meanwhile, Sri Sumaryati Haryanto, secretary-general of the legislative body, admitted that the IPU conference's expenditures had risen from the initially forecasted Rp 15 billion to Rp 21 billion because the House had to also pay for taxes required for the organization of the conference.

"We are ready to be audited and all expenditure during the IPU conference is accountable," she said.

Edo Wasdi, the House's deputy-secretary general, said the rehabilitation project of the legislator housing complex was carried out in accordance with existing procedures.

"No financial leakage has happened in the project and the project's implementation has also been fully reported to the House's general affairs department (BURT)," he said. (rms)