Councilor says administration practices nepotism
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)