Ancol scandal clouds governor's accountability

Ancol scandal clouds governor's accountability

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso, who is slated to deliver his
accountability speech on Friday, has failed to fulfill his
commitment to uphold the law because of his failure to resolve
the controversy surrounding overseas trips and travel allowances
provided to several councillors and city officials, critics
within the council said on Thursday.

Chairman of the City Council's Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, Audy I.Z. Tambunan, said the
governor has only fulfilled 40 percent of his eight commitments,
stipulated before the City Council's annual session last July.

"Sutiyoso has not yet fulfilled the remaining 60 percent of
his commitments, which includes upholding the law," Audy told
reporters.

He said Sutiyoso's decision to exonerate two senior officials
and punish only nine low-ranking officials for joining the
controversial trips, known as the Ancol scandal, proved that the
governor was not serious about enforcing the law.

City Inspector Hendarin Ono Saleh had recommended that
Sutiyoso punish 11 officials, including City Development Agency
chief Bambang Sungkono and head of the City Planning Agency,
Ahmaddin Ahmad, for joining the trips.

Hendarin recently submitted his proposal for an early pension,
which is believed to have been prompted by Sutiyoso's refusal to
"evaluate" the positions of Bambang and Ahmaddin.

Audy said Sutiyoso's other commitments which were not
fulfilled include the improvement of residential identity card
(KTP) processing, controlling street vendors and improving
security in the city.

Asked whether his faction will reject Sutiyoso's
accountability speech, Audy replied: "If the speech is really
bad, we will reject it. But, we'll listen to it first."

Sutiyoso's statement acquitting the 1999 city budget was
rejected by the council last July. A month later, the council
accepted his revised accountability speech after he instigated
several reforms and promised to improve his administration.

A.H. Ishak, deputy chairman of the National Awakening Party
(PKB) faction, shared Audy's opinion that the scandal was a
serious factor to be considered in the council's evaluation of
Sutiyoso's speech on Friday.

"We will question Sutiyoso regarding the scandal as the trip
was financed by the 2000 city budget," Ishak, also a member of
the City Council Commission E for Social Welfare Affairs, said.

In addition to being financed by the city budget, the
"comparative study" trips to Japan, Australia and South Africa
were also funded by city-owned developer PT Pembangunan Jaya
Ancol, which is proposing to develop a waterfront project in
Ancol, North Jakarta.

As many as 45 people, including city officials and 16
councillors of the Commission D for Development Affairs, joined
the trip. They reportedly received travel allowances from the
company amounting to between US$5,000 and $10,000 each, in
addition to the Rp 52 million ($5,200) in city funds which each
delegate received.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Prosecutor's Office chief Basrief Arief
said on Thursday that three councillors who had received the
travel allowances but did not join the trips, were likely to be
officially named as suspects in the case.

"Although the three have argued that they had returned the
money, the investigation will continue," Basrief told reporters.

The three people were deputy council speaker Tarmidi Suhardjo
and councillor Tarmidi Edy Suwarno, both members of PDI
Perjuangan, and councillor Ali Imran Husein from the United
Development Party (PPP).

While indicating that the investigation may be completed next
week, Basrief said six other councillors, including City Council
speaker Edy Waluyo, would also be questioned.

Meanwhile, Audy said his faction had decided that the two
Tarmidis were not guilty.

"The allowances are still in the council's secretariat. The
two councillors could not have joined the trip because they were
busy with their party's meetings and conference," he said.

Audy suggested the governor punish the two senior officials,
Bambang and Ahmaddin, who had allegedly persuaded councillors to
join the trips.

Separately, City Council Spokesman Muhayat said on Thursday
that the content of the governor's 64-page accountability speech
will be based on the 2000 city budget. (jun)