City inspector resigns over Ancol scandal

JAKARTA (JP): City Inspector Hendarin Ono Saleh has submitted his resignation after his recommendation to remove two senior city officials over an overseas travel scandal was rejected.

City administration spokesman Muhayat confirmed on Tuesday that Hendarin had submitted his resignation letter last week, but denied it was related to the controversial foreign trips of city officials and city councillors.

"He (Hendarin) had to submit his resignation since he was entering his pension period," Muhayat claimed.

Hendarin had recommended that Governor Sutiyoso "evaluate" the positions of City Development Agency head Bambang Sungkono and City Land Agency chief Ahmadin Ahmad.

They were the most senior of 11 city officials among 45 people who took part in a "comparative study" visit to South Africa, Australia and Japan between Oct. 9 and Oct. 15 last year.

Among the 45 were also 16 city councillors.

Some of the people on the trip continued their tour to Japan and South Korea despite it not originally being scheduled.

The 45 on the trip were also believed to have received about Rp 50 million each from the city budget, despite already receiving a travel allowance from city-owned developer PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol who financed and organized the trip.

A reliable source said Hendarin had recommended to a meeting of the City Honor Duty Council in February that all 11 city officials be punished.

Hendarin had threatened to resign if his recommendations on punishing all 11 officials were not carried out, the source said.

However the council only removed nine officials from their positions, while Bambang and Ahmadin were not penalized.

The duty council is chaired by Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi.

Governor Sutiyoso, as chief commissioner of PT Jaya Ancol, has claimed that he did not authorize the release of funds for the trip.

The 11 officials were questioned two weeks ago by the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office for alleged corruption over the case.

The prosecutor's office also questioned on Monday three councillors from the council's Commission D for development affairs: Sugeng Suprijatna and Anna Rudhiantina of the Golkar Party and Marjuan Bakri of the National Mandate Party.

All three took part in the trip.

Commission chairman Sayogo Hendrosubroto, of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, was also questioned by the prosecutor's office last week.

The prosecutor's office plans to question 16 more councillors, including three who allegedly received a travel allowance despite not taking part in the trip. (jun)