Akbar dismisses call for probe into alleged scams

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)