Councilor says administration practices nepotism

JAKARTA (JP): A senior councilor accused the city administration yesterday of practicing nepotism and cronyism in the recruitment and promotion of its employees.

"I know of officials recruited and promoted because of familial connections within the bureaucracy," said Lukman F Mokoginta, chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction.

"I can't name them but the administration's officials, especially those in the personnel department, must know about it," he said.

Lukman also accused the administration of practicing nepotism and cronyism in selecting contractors to carry out its development projects.

Lukman's allegation was strongly denied by the deputy governor of financial affairs, Harun Al Rasyid.

"I don't see any of our personnel being recruited or promoted because of their personal relationship with relevant senior officials.

"I believe that people who have familial ties who happen to work in the administration office were recruited because of their aptitude rather than familial considerations," he said.

Harun declined to comment on any nepotistic practices in the awarding of projects. Instead, he urged the governor to review any projects that appeared to involve nepotism and collusion.

"I'm sure that projects like the three-tier transit system and the reclamation of (northern) Jakarta Bay will be reviewed," he said.

The three-tier transit system to connect Bintaro in South Jakarta to downtown Kota is managed by a joint venture company, PT Citramoda Margakencana Persada, which consists of PT Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada, owned by former president Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, state railway company Perumka and state-owned highway corporation PT Jasa Marga.

The reclamation project was awarded to PT Manggala Krida Yudha, a firm owned by Soeharto's youngest daughter Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih.

Harun said the administration should be prepared to hire other companies to continue the projects if the current contractors withdrew.

He said two other projects had been awarded to Soeharto's children. The Manggarai integrated transport system was awarded to Hardijanti; and the subway project to connect Blok M in South Jakarta and Kota in West Jakarta went to Soeharto's second son Bambang Trihatmodjo.

"But I don't think these two projects will become problems because they have not been started. The Manggarai project was postponed by the central government due to the economic crisis," he said. (cst)