Ex-mayor 'took initiative' to use state funds

JAKARTA (JP): Former West Jakarta mayor Sutardjianto admitted on Tuesday to illegally obtaining state funds totaling Rp 2.6 billion (US$388,000 at the current rate) during his five year tenure from 1993 to 1997.

At a hearing in the trial of his alleged role in a land scam, the defendant said he committed the crime in order to cover a shortfall of funds faced by his administration.

"The West Jakarta administration did not have enough funds to finance the development, so I took the initiative to find another source of funds," Sutardjianto told the West Jakarta District Court.

The former top figure in West Jakarta did not disclose the budget received by his office during his tenure which had subsequently "forced" him to commit the crime.

The defendant also argued that he carried out the crime in a bid to settle the land problem as well as to "raise extra funds from the disputed parties to help finance the city's development projects".

"I distributed the fund to several social organizations and other institutions and individuals, such as police, judges and even local journalists," Sutardjianto said.

Reporters covering the hearing on Tuesday were stunned by the defendant's remarks, saying that they regretted the matter and condemned their colleagues for receiving such funds.

The defendant did not disclose the amount of money he shared with other parties.

Prosecutor Rusli said in his indictment that all funds were transferred to Sutardjianto's private account at Bank Pembangunan Daerah Jakarta.

The 57-year-old defendant said he was entrusted by his predecessor, Sudjoko, to settle a dispute over a 19,800-hectare plot in Tomang, North Meruya subdistrict.

The city administration-owned land was in a decision made under the governorship of Ali Sadikin in 1972 originally allocated to house hundreds of homeless people in the capital.

For unknown reasons, the scheme was not carried out by Sutarjianto's predecessors who ruled West Jakarta from 1988 till 1993.

The defendant said he made a decision on the matter by retaining the ownership certificates of the land which had been sold by unknown parties to "certain parties".

The defendant admitted to the court that during his term he released the land certificates to the owners, who numbered at least 121 individuals and included Wen Chie Siang and Yanto Lukman.

The two were earlier said by prosecutors to have purchased since 1991 respectively 9,330-square meters and 7,080-square meters of the land.

Sutardjianto said he had asked the land owners for compensation for providing the owners with their documents.

The defendant said that for his service Yanto and Chie Siang had provided him with respectively Rp 1 billion and Rp 699 million.

Sutardjianto said he collected the remaining Rp 900 million from other owners.

He said he committed the crime one year before he left his position.

"I sent a letter of request to the West Jakarta National Land Agency for the issuance of the land certificates," he said.

Judge Soeparno adjourned the hearing until Nov. 9 when the prosecution will present their case. (asa)