Councillors accused of taking bribes

JAKARTA (JP): City Council Commission B for economic affairs may have accepted bribes for urging the city administration to halt the demolition of a building constructed illegally in Bung Karno Sports Complex, an activist said on Thursday.

"The councillors of Commission B might have colluded with the building's owner. They might have offered bribes to keep it (the building) standing," Azas Tigor Nainggolan, the chairman of the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta), a non-governmental organization, said.

Tigor urged the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to investigate the possibility of collusion between the councillors and building owner PT Anggara.

He said the Ministry of Home Affairs should permit the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to question the councillors about the case.

Separately, councillor Ali Imran Husein of Commission D for public works, development and environmental affairs, questioned Commission B's authority in requesting a postponement of the demolition of the building, which is located in the eastern parking lot of Bung Karno sports complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

"What's going on here? Issues concerning buildings and building permits should be discussed with Commission D," said Ali of the United Development Party.

But several councillors of Commission B denied accepting anything from the building owner, saying that they were just defending the interests of small and medium businesses which use the building for exhibiting their products at a lower rate.

"The demolition is unfair. Why was the other building in the area not demolished?" Commission B deputy chairman Dani Anwar said.

He said that the other building was not demolished by the administration because it belonged to a big company, PT City Neon.

Meanwhile, City Governor Sutiyoso reiterated on Thursday that all buildings which violate permits in the sports complex should be demolished.

Separately, PT Anggara president Besrizal Basari also noted that the demolition was unfair as the other building on the plot had not been demolished.

Besrizal revealed that he had spent Rp 700,000 (US$82.40) more than the amount to get a permit for the building.

A number of city officials tasked to demolish PT City Neon's building were reportedly seen having lunch with the company's officials at nearby Pondok Laguna restaurant on Thursday. (jun)