City council ponders ethics committee

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)