Council factions express concern over corruption

Council factions express concern over corruption

JAKARTA (JP): Ten of the 11 factions in the City Council,
during their overviews of Governor Sutiyoso's accountability
speech, expressed concern with the governor's failure to curb
corruption, but only one faction brought up the PT Jaya Ancol
scandal.

During a plenary session for factions to express their general
views of the accountability speech, Justice Party spokesman Abdul
Azis Matnur said his faction believed Sutiyoso was fully aware of
the improper disbursement of funds from city-owned developer PT
Pembangunan Jaya Ancol to finance an overseas visit by
administration employees and city councillors.

Azis also asked why, after the city secretary had disbursed
money from the city budget to finance the visit, additional funds
had been disbursed by PT Jaya Ancol.

"Is there no coordination between the two?" Azis said reading
the faction's overview of Sutiyoso's accountability speech.

Eleven city administration officials and 16 councillors were
part of a group of 45 people who took part in a controversial
visit to Japan, South Africa and Australia in October.

The officials and councillors reportedly received Rp 52
million (US$5,200) from the city budget, despite already having
received between $5,000 and $10,000 from PT Jaya Ancol.

Three councillors -- two from the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and one from the United Development
Party (PPP) -- reportedly received the travel allowances despite
not taking part in the seven-day trip. The three later claimed
they had returned the money.

The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office has questioned several
councillors and administration officials, including Sutiyoso,
about the matter.

Sutiyoso has claimed he knew nothing of the disbursement of
the funds from PT Jaya Ancol, despite being the commissioner of
the company.

The case took an intriguing turn when Sutiyoso chose to
discipline only nine of the 11 administration officials who took
part in the visit. The two senior officials who were not
disciplined were City Development Agency chief Bambang Sungkono
and City Planning Agency head Ahmaddin Ahmad.

Soon after Sutiyoso's decision, City Inspector Hendarin Ono
Saleh announced he was taking early retirement. Sources have said
Hendarin resigned in disgust over the preferential treatment
given Bambang and Ahmaddin.

The Justice and Unity Party (PKP) faction, without directly
referring to the PT Jaya Ancol scandal, expressed doubt about
Sutiyoso's commitment to fighting corruption.

"It seems the governor acted unfairly by just punishing the
lower-level officials," the faction's chairman, Posman Siahaan,
said while reading his faction's overview of the accountability
speech.

PDI Perjuangan, which holds 30 of the 85 seats in the council,
did not touch at all on the PT Jaya Ancol case in its overview,
despite earlier pledges by faction members to raise the issue.

PDI Perjuangan faction spokesman Mohamad Nakum AR, who read
the faction's statement, only urged the governor to explain in
detail corruption cases that have been settled and the amount of
losses incurred by the city.

The PPP faction, The Indonesian Military/National Police
faction, the Golkar Party faction and the National Awakening
Party (PKB) faction also expressed concern with corruption, but
made no mention of the PT Jaya Ancol matter.

The National Mandate Party (PAN) faction did not discuss
corruption in its general overview, focusing instead on the 2000
city budget. (jun)