Govt finds massive graft cases
A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) has found 1,435 financial irregularities worth more than Rp 1.008 trillion (about US$120 million) in government operations in the first three months of 2003 alone.
Rp 1.008 trillion is equivalent to five months salary for more than 300,000 workers earning Jakarta's minimum wage of Rp 631,000 per month.
State Minister of Administrative Reforms Feisal Tamin said Friday that the internal audit agency had discovered 61 financial irregularities worth Rp 967 billion in the Oil and Gas Implementing Body (BP Migas).
The body, which took over the traditional role of state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina overseeing the upstream oil and gas industry, was established last year.
Faisal, however, failed to spell out the type of irregularities found at BP Migas, which is directly under the control of the president.
BP Migas head Rachmat Sudibyo could not be reached for comment on Friday.
The second highest number of discrepancies were found in regional governments with 494 cases involving Rp 17.9 billion, followed by the State Ministry for State Enterprises with 175 cases involving Rp 6.4 billion.
BPKP discovered 2,508 irregularities worth Rp 2.2 trillion in the first semester of 2001.
Feisal said authorities had followed up 261 cases or 18.19 percent of the total, with potential losses of Rp 958 billion in state funds.
Following up means that the agency (BPKP) hands over its findings to either the institution in question for further action or the Attorney General's Office for legal proceedings.
"The findings in the first three months of this year do not automatically mean that there were abuses. Both institutions concerned and the Attorney General's Office are now investigating. Whether or not corruption is involved will be determined when the investigations are completed," Feisal told journalists and dozens of participants at a working meeting between his agency and all related government organizations at his office.
BPKP, which is in charge of auditing development funds allocated in the state budget, investigated 31 government offices, including ministries and state agencies. Most of the organizations were represented at the meeting.
Faisal, who was accompanied by BPKP chairman Arie Soelendro, said he also invited representatives from the Attorney General's Office, but they did not attend for unknown reasons.
Faisal said that of the 1,435 irregularities, 24 cases involving Rp 32.77 trillion had been handed over to the prosecution office.
Faisal said that of the 24 cases, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises topped the list with 11 cases worth more than Rp 20 billion.
Other cases already submitted to the prosecution office included, among others, the Ministry of State Enterprises with three cases worth more than Rp 4.2 billion, the Ministry of National Education with four cases involving Rp 2.8 billion, and the ministry of manpower and transmigration with two cases worth Rp 2.6 billion.
10 biggest irregularities
No. Government Offices Irregularity Value (Rp)
1. Oil and Gas Implementing 61 cases 967 billion
Body (BP Migas)
2. Regional Governments 494 cases 17.9 billion
3. Ministry of State
Enterprises 175 cases 6.4 billion
4. Pertamina 89 cases 4.6 billion
5. Family Planning
Coordinating Body 51 cases 3.6 billion
6. State Logistics Agency 83 cases 2.3 billion
7. The Ministry of Foreign
Affairs 13 cases 1.7 billion
8. The Ministry of Home
Affairs 134 cases 989 million
9. The Ministry of Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries 3 cases 639 million
10. The Ministry of Cooperatives
and Small and Medium
Enterprises 4 cases 586 million =============================================================== Source: State Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP)