City council ponders ethics committee

JAKARTA (JP): The city council might set up an ethics committee and draft an internal code of conduct to deal with, among other things, money its members regularly received from city officials and business people.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Speaker Edy Waluyo hoped the scheme would stop councillors from receiving payoffs.

"Next year, we may set up an ethics committee to handle this kind of (bribery) cases," Edy told journalists on Friday.

According to him, other cases involving the councillors could be handed over to law enforcers, Edy said without elaborating.

"We have no authority to question our members, so we will pass the cases to their respective factions and let them decide whether to take legal action," Edy added.

His remarks were in response to the action of four councillors of the Justice Party (PK) who received payoffs during their official visits this year but decided to distribute the money, totaling Rp 40 million (about US$4,325), among some 130 low ranking staff at the council such as office boys, drivers, security officers and cleaners.

The council has 85 members from 11 factions. By law, the councillors are obliged to inspect and monitor the growth and performance of city firms and agencies.

So far, only the PK councillors have decided not to use the money for their personal interests. They had initially wanted to return the money to its source.

"It would be impolite (to other fellow councillors) if we had directly rejected the money," Ahmad Heryawan, PK deputy chairman, said on Wednesday.

On Thursday, coordinator of Government Watch Farid R. Faqih strongly urged the other 81 councillors who had received payoffs to step down.

"It's about moral principals. They have broken their own oaths," the activist said.

Councilor Edi from the TNI/Polri faction on Friday agreed with Farid.

"Receiving bribes is wrong. What had happened was a big mistake and it's the fault of both the executive and legislative members," he said.

"It violates the councillors' oath. So, we have to establish a new system to prevent it from happening again," Edi added.

He further explained that the council had issued an official order which prohibits councillors from receiving such payoffs. In line with the order, the council has allocated funds to finance councillors' official duties.

"The funds are not much but I believe it can cover their drinks and cigarettes during the trips. We would also be providing transportation for them so they should not be accepting any money from city officials," he said.

Edy, however, did not explain whether he had received such money from other parties.

Article 423 of the Criminal Law stipulates that civil officers abusing their authority for their own interests by giving payoffs could be sentenced to six years in jail.

According to Article 42 of Law no.4/1999 on the position, task and authority of legislators and councillors, councillors suspected of accepting bribes could be dismissed by the council speaker with recommendations from the related faction.

Separately on Friday, Governor Sutiyoso urged the city councillors to disclose the names of city agencies which had given them payoffs.

"If the councillors refuse to reveal the names of the city agencies, we (city administration) will identify them in our own way," he said.

Councilor Agus Dharmawan of the National Mandate Party (PAN) faction, said it was unnecessary to reveal the sources who have made payoffs, saying that it would suffice if councillors maintain their commitment not to receive any more bribes.

"I guess it is not about the money, but our will to eradicate such (illegal) practices," said Agus.

Agus said some councillors might not be able to change their habit of accepting bribes as it was widely practiced in the previous regime.

"This is the reform era. Things have changed, and so must we," he said.

He proposed a separate fund for councillors' official visits in the draft city budget for 2001, so that each councilor would have no reason to receive payoffs.

"The council had proposed a budget of at least Rp 1 million per month for every member," he said, adding that the draft was still being reviewed.(dja/07)