Councillors suspected of receiving bribes
Councillors suspected of receiving 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)