East Java legislators 'ready to be recalled'
SURABAYA: Eighteen East Java legislators who reportedly made illegal overseas trips in July said they were ready to be recalled by their factions for the "wrongdoing".
The chairman of the legislative council's Commission B, Mahfudz Basya, told The Jakarta Post on Friday he was awaiting a decision from his party, the National Awakening Party (PKB).
All 18 of the legislators are from Commission B.
Six are from the PKB faction, six from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, two from the Indonesian Military/National Police faction, two from the Golkar Party faction and two from the joint National Mandate Party (PAN) and Indonesian National Party-Marhaen (PNI-Massa Marhaen) faction.
Officials from the East Java branch of PDI Perjuangan said the legislators had admitted they made a mistake.
The chief of the Brawijaya Military Command, Maj. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, said on Friday he had sent an official request to the military commander in Jakarta to recall the two legislators from the military faction.
"No pardon for them," Silalahi said.
The chairman of the East Java chapter of PKB, Choirul Anam, said that as soon as police named the legislators involved in the matter, "they must be recalled".
Police have begun a preliminary investigation of the legislators, who allegedly traveled overseas when they were supposed to by on official domestic tours.
Surabaya Police chief Sr. Supt. Sri Kresno said his office was awaiting word from the minister of home affairs and regional autonomy to continue the investigation into the legislators. "We will thoroughly investigate the alleged abuse of power and misuse of public funds. This is a crime," he said.
According to preliminary reports, each legislator received Rp 5 million in transportation money and Rp 2.5 million for expenses, he said. "Later each of them got Rp 1 million from Commission B. So the total amount of money allegedly improperly used is Rp 153 million," he said, adding that police had received numerous reports of the incident from the public and other legislators. (nur/sur)