Council factions accuse Sutiyoso of corruption
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Several party factions in the City Council challenged on Tuesday the practice of corruption in the city administration.
The issue was raised in their feedback over Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso's 2001 budget speech, which was presented last week.
The second largest faction, the National Mandate Party (PAN), accused Sutiyoso of illegally selling a 10-hectare plot of city land to private firm PT Jakarta International Trade Fair.
"The Governor signed a letter that approved the sale, which caused losses to Jakartans," the faction spokesman Soleh Rachman said.
According to a government regulation, the land in the former Kemayoran airport in Central Jakarta, which had been designated as a social and public facility and a fairground, could not be sold.
The faction found that the money from the sale of the land was used to pay the debt of the firm, which was controlled by businessman Edward Surjadjaja.
The faction, as well as the United Development Party (PPP) faction, also discovered irregularities in the acquisition of the 10.4 hectare plot of land which was previously the location of brothel complex Kramat Tunggak in North Jakarta.
Several city offices, including a government-owned official residence for doctors, located in the former brothel, were among buildings that were appropriated, Soleh said.
PAN and PPP each have 13 seats at the council.
PPP faction also pointed at the practice of corruption and collusion among city officials and private developers who were obliged to provide land for public facilities.
"If there was no practice of corruption ... the city's assets and income would have increased," faction spokesman Hamidi HR said without mentioning the exact amount of the monetary losses suffered by the city.
He revealed that his faction found 22 cases where 14 private developers had not built the social and public facilities they were obliged to provide according to city regulations on land use.
Meanwhile, the Justice Party faction alleged Sutiyoso had lied when he stated that he had resigned last year from the post of the president commissioner of city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya.
The faction's spokesman Abdul Aziz Matnur said that Sutiyoso resigned on Feb. 28, this year.
He said the faction, which only had four seats in the council, also questioned the city's Rp 18.8 billion in losses in a mutual fund transaction, that used city funds.
"We also urge the governor to explain loss of Rp 52 billion in a hotel development project in Bali," he said.
The factions' sharp questions directed at the governor, however, might not significantly affect his accountability for the budget as the largest faction, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), glossed over the glaring irregularities.
PDI Perjuangan, which has 30 of the 85 seats in the council, did not mention the irregularities or the practice of corruption in the city administration.
The faction only asked for explanations on general matters, such as the public order situation, sanitation, public services, health, housing, environment and narcotics.
Only two factions, the Indonesian Military (TNI)/National Police and the Golkar Party positively acknowledged Sutiyoso's speech although they also asked for an explanation on a few matters.
TNI/National Police and Golkar factions have nine seats and eight seats respectively.
The council's 11 factions will express their final views on April 26 to decide whether they will reject or accept Sutiyoso's budget speech.
Sutiyoso's term of office will end in October this year.
Irregularities in 2001:
1. Sale of 10 hectares of land at Jakarta Fairground in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
2. Acquisition of a 10.3 hectare plot of land of former brothel Kramat Tunggak in North Jakarta worth Rp 83 billion.
3. Losses of Rp 18.1 billion in funds in a mutual fund transaction.
4. Losses of Rp 52.152 billion related to a hotel development project in Bali.
5. Rp 179 billion in losses in several city agencies.
Sources: General views of some City Council's factions