DPRD Chairman Takes Passive Stance on Money Distribution Among New Members
Mataram (ANTARA) - The Chairman of the West Nusa Tenggara People’s Representative Council, Baiq Isvie Rupaeda, has adopted a passive stance following a dispute among new members regarding the distribution of funds for implementing the NTB Governor’s directive programme.
Before the panel of judges chaired by Dewi Santini, Baiq Isvie admitted that she could not respond to the issue by taking a firm stance as the NTB DPRD Chairman.
“I cannot intervene. I am the chairman, not the head. We (the NTB DPRD Chairman) are only partners; I only coordinate DPR tasks,” said Baiq Isvie while giving testimony in the NTB DPRD gratification case trial at the Corruption Court at the Mataram District Court on Thursday.
She also stated that she took no independent steps to clarify or inquire with the new members who received the funds from the NTB Governor’s directive programme.
“What I know is that only Lalu Arif received the money. Because he came directly to my house and told me about it; he received Rp200 million from IJU (Indra Jaya Usman),” she said.
Baiq Isvie explained that Lalu Arif came seeking her opinion as the NTB DPRD Chairman after IJU, one of the defendants in this case, did not respond to Lalu Arif’s intention to return the money.
“I said I couldn’t comment because the NTB DPRD is not responsible for that. I stayed silent; I said I couldn’t respond because it could become a problem,” she stated.
Baiq Isvie also acknowledged that she learned of the commotion only after it appeared in the media, well before the NTB Attorney General’s Office conducted an investigation. She also only learned the names of the new members who received the money through the media.
“I only heard the issue (of money distribution) from the three defendants, but I never saw it directly. Only after it appeared in the media did I know who received it,” said Baiq Isvie.
Furthermore, Isvie stated that she only acted internally within the Golkar faction as the supporting party in the NTB DPRD.
She first communicated with the Chairman of the NTB Golkar DPD, Mohan Roliskana, who now serves as the Mayor of Mataram.
“So, after hearing from Lalu Wirajaya, the first deputy chairman, the results of the internal Gerindra party meeting requested all its members who received the money to return it, which I followed and called the chairman, Mohan,” she said.
Return the money
Baiq Isvie also urged the party to take a stance by asking NTB DPRD members who received the money to return it, as done by the Gerindra Faction.
Firadz, as the Secretary of the NTB Golkar DPD, held the same opinion, urging members who received the money to return it to the prosecutors.
“Right after returning, Firadz called me and said no Golkar friends received it. So, Madam Chairman, don’t get involved; that’s why I stayed silent,” she said.
After reports emerged in the media of actions to return money by more than a dozen new NTB DPRD members to the NTB Attorney General’s Office, Baiq Isvie contacted the Head of the NTB Attorney General’s Office, then held by Enen Saribanon, via telephone.
“I called Madam Head of Attorney Enen when I learned there was a return; I asked how that was? Her response was we’ll see the developments,” she said.
In the continuation of the trial held on Thursday, the public prosecutor presented Baiq Isvie along with three Deputy Chairmen of the NTB DPRD as witnesses. They were Lalu Wirajaya, Muzihir, and Yek Agil.
The public prosecutor presented the witnesses one by one before the panel of judges, starting with Baiq Isvie as the NTB DPRD Chairman.