Council factions accuse Sutiyoso of corruption

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