Entire council may face graft charges
Oyos Saroso, Bandarlampung
All 75 members of Lampung legislative council could be named as suspects for their alleged role in a collective graft scam similar to those that have plagued many other legislatures across the country.
Former Lampung governor Oemarsono could also be charged with involvement in the same scam, local prosecutors said.
They said they were seeking permission from Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno to summon 61 of the 75 Lampung council members for questioning in a scandal involving Rp 23.5 billion (US$2.6 million) from the 2001 and 2002 budgets.
"Our progress is being hampered because the minister has yet to respond to a request we sent in May for permission to question the councillors," Lampung Prosecutor's Office head Wisnu Subroto said on Monday.
During a visit to Lampung last Friday to attend the inauguration of Krakatau Festival by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Minister Hari denied receiving the request.
"I will certainly not impede the investigation process, but I haven't received the letter yet," he said.
The minister has, however, issued permission to summon six of the 61 councillors and eight others who had already been recalled from the council by their respective parties. The 14 have been declared suspects in the same case.
Lampung Prosecutor's Office investigation section head Maryono said there was sufficient evidence to charge all 75 councillors with the collective scam.
Should the home affairs minister not give his approval by August, Maryono said, his office would have to wait until the councillors ended their five-year terms in September to question them.
He said his office has also questioned as witnesses former Lampung council speaker Abbas Hadi Sunyoto and several other ex- members including Syahrial, Firmansyah, Hadi Syaukat, B. Sarjono and Agusman Arief.
Lampung Prosecutor's Office deputy head Darmono confirmed that all of those summoned as witnesses could be named as suspects, including former governor Oemarsono.
Darmono argued that Oemarsono had played a key role in drafting the budgets.
The Rp 23.5 billion graft allegations came to light following a recent report by the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP), which showed that more than Rp 9.5 billion was misappropriated from Lampung's 2001 budget, while Rp 14 billion more was embezzled from the 2002 budget.
Lampung Parliament Watch (LPW) coordinator Wahyu Sasongko said the amounts allocated for the council's expenses had violated Government Regulation No. 110/2000 on the financial status of regional councils.
In the 2002 budget, the Lampung legislature increased its routine expenditure to 32 percent, which included travel expenses that were raised from Rp 3 billion to Rp 7 billion, and the sum of Rp 4 billion for life insurance for all 75 legislators.
University of Lampung economist Asrian Hendicaya said that less than 15 percent of the budget benefited local people due to unresolved corruption within government projects.
He said the composition of the 2001 and 2002 provincial budgets -- 67.54 percent for routine spending and 32.45 percent for development -- showed a lack of proper balance by the administration in providing public services and generating revenues.
"There are indications that regional administrations in the autonomy era aim purely to raise as much revenue as possible, while neglecting their function as providers of public services," Asrian said.
A few months ago, a district court jailed almost all 55 members of the West Sumatra council for graft. They remain free however, pending appeal.
Similar collective scams have also been revealed at many other local councils around Indonesia.