`Gifts' of public space in Pondok Kopi to be probed
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said here yesterday that he will question East Jakarta's mayor about civil servants who have allegedly taken bribes from a real estate developer.
"The government will check the reports thoroughly before taking any measures against the suspected officials," Surjadi said, adding that he does not tolerate corruption.
Earlier reports said that a number of government officials, both military and civil servants, received free plots of land in Pondok Kopi area, East Jakarta, from PT Mas Naga real estate company.
However, the total 1.3-hectare plot in the Pondok Kopi housing area was initially intended to be kept as a public space, a must for every developer, which would include a park and a mosque.
Sudarsono, the mayor of East Jakarta, was quoted by Jayakarta daily as admitting yesterday that a number of his staffers had already received the plots as "rations" from PT Mas Naga following the sales of its real estate.
He declined to mention the names of the allegedly corrupt officials, saying that only two persons had already signed the faked procurements so far.
He added that both officials had returned the plots to the developer following the coverage of the media of the incident.
Councilors
In a related development, two city councilors of the United Development Party (PPP) and Golkar said yesterday that the government should take measures against such officials.
"It has spoiled our happiness after being awarded the Parasamya Purnakarya Nugraha award by the central government," said councilor Helmy AR Syihab from PPP.
He estimated that the 1.3-hectare land costs Rp 2.6 billion (US$1.19 million).
Parasamya is a meritorious award given to provinces, including Jakarta, for their most outstanding achievement in the development programs over the past five years. One of several points evaluated in determining whether a province deserves the award is how the province organizes its administrative affairs.
Councilor Mansyur Achmad from Golkar told reporters here that the land recipients should return their parcels.
"The government should also punish the developer," Mansyur said. He added that he was concerned about business practices here in which bribery was becoming standard operating procedure.
The management of PT Mas Naga was not available for comment.
Officers from a police sub-precinct and the district military in Pondok Kopi area, as well as officials of the East Jakarta mayoralty, were reported to have received the bribes.
Groups implicated in the scam from East Jakarta include members of the Organization and Law section, the Land Agency and the Mayoralty Secretariat.
The report said that some individuals received 240-square- meter plots, while others received 300, or 700-square-meter parcels.
The scam has raised the possibility of the involvement of more powerful officials, who acted to cut through the administrative red-tape.
Helmy said that the Jakarta inspectorate and prosecutors offices should intervene in the problem and investigate the corruption case completely. (09)