Councillors admit getting fund from city budget

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the last two days, Jakartans have followed events unfolding after the Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) Azas Tigor Nainggolan alleged that Governor Sutiyoso had bribed city councillors to accept his 2001 budget speech.

Chairwoman of the council's budgetary committee, Anna Rudhiantiana, confirmed on Wednesday in a press briefing that a fund to pay city councillors did exist, but claimed it had been allocated in the city budget for a special package for council sessions, including Sutiyoso's budget speech.

Anna, however, refused to give details, saying she must study the documents before making a public statement.

Councillor Muhayar R.M. of the Justice Party said this year's budget for the special package would be similar to last year's.

He claimed that most of the 85 city councillors had no idea about the budget details, but none had questioned it. The details are decided by the council chairmen and members of the council budgetary committee.

Muhayar estimated the Rp 17.83 billion (US$1.783 million) fund would be used to pay councillors' honorariums for stipulating, revising and calculating the city budget and evaluate the governor's budget speech.

The fund is only a small part of the total Rp 88.39 billion fund allocated for councillors' activities for a year.

The City Council chairman, Edy Waluyo, who accompanied Anna during the press conference, hoped the explanation would prove the inaccuracy of Fakta's allegation.

He claimed the council would not automatically accept Sutiyoso's budget speech even though they received money from the city budget.

Edy supported Sutiyoso's response to Tigor's allegation. Sutiyoso filed a report with the police on Wednesday.

Following the report, city police spokesman Sen. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said the police would summon Tigor for questioning soon.

"We'll also follow up the report by collecting more evidence," he said.

Tigor had said on Monday that some councillors, whose names remain confidential, had turned down the money offered by the governor, who has allegedly provided Rp 3 billion for councillors.

Sutiyoso, who has been under fire ever since his administration's slow response to handling the floods earlier this year, has denied the accusation.

He reported Tigor to the police on Tuesday for defamation.

However, Tigor said he was prepared to face Sutiyoso, saying he obtained the information from some councillors.