East Java legislators 'ready to be recalled'
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)