Council suspects crime by Jakarta poll agency
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The City Council said on Thursday that it had demanded that the City National Unity Agency (Kesbang), which is in charge of overseeing the funds used during the 2004 election in the city, submit the report of the fund used by the Jakarta Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu).
"We have demanded that the body immediately submit the report to us since we heard that Panwaslu claims to have submitted the report to the agency," said councillor Achmad Suaidy who chaired City Council Commission A on legal and administrative affairs.
Suaidy said that the commission would further examine whether there were irregularities in the use of about Rp 20.6 billion (US$2.18 million) from the city budget by Panwaslu.
One of the eight former Panwaslu members, Cholil Nafis, acknowledged that the institution had submitted the financial report to Kesbang, the Jakarta Audit Agency, the city secretary and the City Council before its dissolution in November last year.
"We have given the report to the relevant institutions before Panwaslu was dissolved," Cholil said.
Contrary to Cholil's claim, Kesbang head Syahrul Effendi denied that the agency had received the report during the meeting with the commission on Monday.
"We have not received the report," Syahrul said.
Commenting on the uncertainties shrouding the report on the use of the city fund by Panwaslu, another councillor Rois Hadayana Syaugie blamed the administration's sluggishness in submitting the report to the council.
"This would not take place if the administration's agencies had well-maintained records of important documents they produce or receive," Rois said.
According to Rois, the Jakarta Audit Agency (Bawasda) had to pursue the report to shed light on the use of the city fund by Panwaslu.
"Bawasda should have asked for the report from Panwaslu before the latter was dissolved," Rois asserted.
He said that the commission would find it difficult to seek clarification over the use of the fund since Panwaslu was dissolved last November.
"We could summon former members of Panwaslu, but of course, it will take a long time," he said.
The commission has unearthed an alleged markup and fictitious tender process in procurements made by the Jakarta Election Commission (KPUD) during last year's election.
The commission gave its finding to the council's leaders, who passed the report on to Governor Sutiyoso.
Sutiyoso promised to pass the reports on the alleged irregularities in the use of Rp 168.6 billion fund by the Jakarta Election Commission (KPUD) during the 2004 election to the police, prosecutors or the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Some have called on relevant law enforcers to pursue the allegations, but so far neither the police, the prosecutors nor the KPK have followed up the case.