Councillors scolded for evading audit

Councillors scolded for evading audit

JAKARTA (JP): The move by city councillors on Tuesday to
refuse to cooperate with visiting officials from the State
Officials' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) has been roundly
criticized by members of the public.

"It's no surprise to me that the councillors refused to
cooperate with the officials from the commission because they
fear that their wealth will be made known to the public," Paulus
R. Mahulete of the Non-Governmental Organizations Coalition for
Budget Transparency, said.

Paulus, who is also a deputy chief of the urban affairs
division of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), revealed that
a councillor received an income of at least Rp 110 million per
month. This figure excluded the various payments a councillor
could expect to receive when visiting city-owned companies.

"So, it's also difficult to audit the unofficial payments
which are so significant," he said.

Paulus suggested that the commission should have the authority
to force the councillors to fill out the audit forms if they
continued to refuse to do so.

He said the commission could also report the councillors to
the prosecutor's office, citing that their rejection of the
commission's officials could be an indication that corruption had
occurred.

"Report them to the prosecutor's office if they refuse to
allow their wealth to be audited," Paulus said.

He said certain political party factions on the City Council
were deliberately protecting those of their members who were
involved in corruption cases, including the controversial
overseas trip case last October, known as the Ancol scandal.

He said the factions had also defended their members who had
received money although they had not participated in the trips to
Australia, Japan and South Africa.

"It's possible that the councillors have received money from
many projects," he said.

Separately, councillor Posman Siahaan admitted that the
councillors received monthly stipends of Rp 6 million each,
excluding allowances for attending meetings and transportation
expenses.

"It's not much for me since I have other businesses, such as a
law firm. But I don't know about other councillors " Posman of
the Justice and Unity Party, said.

He said that during the meeting with the commission on
Tuesday, the councillors had refused to accept the wealth
declaration forms because they were being classified as state
officials, whereas the councillors did not receive monthly
salaries and did not receive pensions as state officials did.

Posman said the councillors were offended as the commission
acted as if its officials were entitled to audit the councillors
wealth, whereas, in fact, the councillors only reported their
wealth.

"Although it's an audit commission, we just report our wealth.
They do not audit our wealth," he asserted.

He said the councillors thought the forms were complicated and
asked the commission to simplify them.

"We will complete the forms if they are simplified. And the
commission has agreed to our request," Posman said.

After the closed-door meeting on Tuesday, the chairman of the
commission's public representatives unit Abdullah Hehamahua
expressed his surprise that the Council had refused to cooperate
with the commission.

"It's the only council in the country which has rejected the
commission," Abdullah told reporters.

He gave a new deadline of May 16 for the councillors to submit
the declarations or otherwise the commission would announce their
refusal to the public. (jun)