Election commission ready to clarify corruption report
Election commission ready to clarify corruption report
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Citing a number of inaccurate audit aspects, the General
Elections Commission (KPU) has said it is prepared to confront an
investigative audit report by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) that
indicates corruption of billions of rupiah by the commission.
KPU chairman Nazarudin Sjamsuddin said the KPU was working on
a clarification report to be submitted to the House of
Representatives soon, implying a request for the House to back
the commission up.
"We're now drafting a full report to counter the BPK findings.
We'll submit it to the House since we've always worked with House
commission II, and all our decisions have been reported to them,"
he said on Tuesday.
One of the decisions, said Nazarudin, was to print additional
ballot papers of 10 percent more than the number of voters,
stated in the election law.
"More ballot papers were needed to anticipate damaged ones, or
migrating voters. Of course a 2.5 percent reserve was not
adequate. House commission II said we could add it as long as it
was under control," KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti
explained.
Nazarudin said the KPU had saved a great deal of state money
in the procurement of ballot papers, which according to the BPK
had cost the state over Rp 12 billion (US$1.26 million).
"The prices offered in the tender were between Rp 780 to Rp
1,018. We managed to get Rp 280 per piece." he said.
The submission of a clarification report to the House would
appear to be a call for support against the BPK report, although
Ramlan said it was only a matter of accountability to House
commission II, as the KPU's partner.
It has been alleged that a number of House members are
responsible for the embezzlement of election funds amounting to
over Rp 90 billion, as indicated in the BPK report.
Another inaccurate point, noted Nazarudin, was the cost
calculation of ballot envelopes. The BPK indicated a state loss
of over Rp 7 billion (US$736,842) due to marked-up prices and an
excessive print run.
"The BPK multiplied 12 envelopes by the number of
regencies/cities, which is around 400, while they should have
multiplied it by the number of polling stations, which is around
585,000," he said.
Such explanations, said Nazarudin, had been given to the BPK
auditors before, but had been more general.
The House is likely to ignore the clarification report. House
Speaker Agung Laksono said the BPK report was enough proof for
related House commissions to launch a probe through the possible
formation of a special inquiry team.
"(But) of course if Commission (II) proves to be involved in
any wrongdoings, it should be openly explained," he said.
Agung said the BPK would submit on Friday two more audit
reports on financial expenditure during the 2004 legislative and
presidential elections.
All BPK reports, including a letter sent by Mulyana W. Kusumah
to Agung on Tuesday, will be distributed to related House
commissions during a plenary meeting next Monday as the House
ends its recess.
"The letter mentions that all decisions regarding any
procurement of election materials were discussed in KPU plenary
sessions attended by all members," Agung said.
Meanwhile, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named
on Tuesday another suspect in the bribery case of a state auditor
involving KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, who was caught trying to
bribe a BPK auditor in a Jakarta hotel room.
Lawyer Erick S. Paat confirmed that his client, Sussongko
Suhardjo, has been named a suspect and detained by the KPK.
Sussongko has been implicated as the one who allegedly ordered
that bribery used and provided some of the money for the bribe.