Governor admits to inability to stop rampant corruption
Governor admits to inability to stop rampant corruption
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso has acknowledged that he has not been
able to stop rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN)
within the city administration, although his five-year term will
be complete in late October.
"KKN has developed structurally and culturally, affecting all
levels and echelons, from the central government to the regions,"
Sutiyoso said on Thursday at a plenary session at the City
Council building.
He was responding to questions from Council members who
expressed their disappointment over his failure to eradicate KKN
in all units of the city administration.
The criticism came from at least seven factions in the
Council: the United Development Party, the Golkar Party, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the Military/Police, the
National Mandate Party, the Diversity in Unity Party and the
Unity and Justice Party.
Chairman of Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) Teten Masduki
previously alleged that some 35 percent of the city budget had
been misappropriated by officials in the city administration.
High-profile corruption cases in the city, which were
highlighted by the City Council, included a controversial trip
overseas by city officials and legislators, dubbed Ancolgate;
the sale of land at former Kemayoran airport in Central Jakarta
and compensation for land acquisition at the former Kramat
Tunggak red-light district in North Jakarta, which is being
developed into a Muslim center.
Sutiyoso also admitted that internal supervision in all units
in the city administration had not functioned well, as leaders in
those units had failed to do their jobs properly.
He also acknowledged the lack of public participation in
supervising activities in the city administration.
In connection with the effort to eradicate corruption,
Sutiyoso said he had enforced administrative sanctions against
those who had been proved guilty at whatever level of either the
administration or city-owned companies.
He did not mention the fact that very few offenses were taken
to court.
In his defense against the failure to deal adequately with the
flooding, Sutiyoso said that the administration had planned to
start construction of the Eastern Flood Canal project early this
year, but it did not happen due to financial constraints.
He added that the government had been unable to attract either
domestic or foreign investors to participate in the project.