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.