City councillors query missing Ancol funds

City councillors query missing Ancol funds

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City councillors questioned on Tuesday city-owned PT Pembangunan
Jaya Ancol over a "missing" company fund of Rp 76.4 billion
(US$7.64 million).

"We suspect that the missing fund has been misappropriated,"
said chairman of City Council Commission B for development
affairs, Syarief Zulkarnaen, during a hearing with PT
Pembangungan Jaya Ancol.

Syarief, a councillor of the United Development Party (PPP),
refuted the company's explanation saying that the fund --
received from state-owned toll operator PT Jasa Marga -- had all
been used.

He quoted the company's former president director, Rushadi,
who said in a hearing last year that the fund was received from
PT Jasa Marga as compensation for developing the Pluit - Tanjung
Priok toll road.

The compensation was gradually dispensed by PT Jasa Marga from
1995 to 2000 as the toll road development had used a part of PT
Pembangunan Jaya Ancol's land.

The current PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol president director,
Yahya Riyabudi, claimed that the fund totaling Rp 76.4 billion
was used to finance company projects, particularly the
reclamation of Ancol beach in North Jakarta municipality.

However, his statement was quickly corrected by the company's
business director, Pramono Sudiro, who said that some Rp 33
billion of the fund was still deposited in the company's bank
account.

"We won't comment on Rushadi's statement that the fund is
still in the company," Yahya said.

Councillor Dani Anwar of the Justice Party revealed that there
was no reclamation project on Ancol beach.

"Not even one square meter of the beach has been reclaimed,"
he said.

Dani said the council had decided to summon the company's
management on May 1 in another hearing to provide more
explanation and data.

Many fear that the fund was used to finance the city
councillors and officials' controversial foreign trips in October
2000.

Rushadi was fired last year after being proven guilty of
financing the trip to Australia, Japan and South Africa although
Governor Sutiyoso, who is an ex-officio PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol
president commissioner, claimed he had not approved the trip.

The case, dubbed as Ancolgate, is still being investigated by
the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.

Three councillors -- Tarmidi Suhardjo and Tarmidi Edi Suwarno
of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
and Ali Imron Hussein of PPP -- were named as suspects.

Each of them reportedly received a $5,000 allowance from PT
Pembangunan Jaya Ancol and Rp 55 million from the city budget
although they did not join the trip.