Hartono to be tough on corrupt subordinates

Hartono to be tough on corrupt subordinates

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Home Affairs R. Hartono threatened
to dismiss governors or regents found to have greased their way
into office, Antara reported yesterday.

"If investigations and the courts find (such officials were)
involved in bribery, I would dismiss them," Hartono told
reporters at his office.

Hartono was commenting on an investigation of bribery
allegations over the election of the current governor of West
Sumatra.

Reports allege that former governor Hasan Basri Durin, now a
member of the People's Consultative Assembly, paid each of the 45
members of the provincial legislative council Rp 20 million
(US$2,500) to elect Muchlis Ibrahim, Durin's deputy, to the
governor's post.

It was also reported that a prominent local businessman paid
the council members to elect a different candidate, Mannas K.
Sulaiman. Gatra magazine said council members had denied the
allegations, while Durin had claimed that his distribution of
money was "valid" because it was regulated in the provincial
budget.

The provincial prosecutors office is still investigating the
case.

Muchlis Ibrahim was elected in December.

Hartono said yesterday he was still waiting for the result of
the investigation into the allegations.

This year, a number of provinces will hold gubernatorial
elections, including Aceh, North Sumatra, Riau, South Sumatra,
West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara,
East Nusa Tenggara and East Kalimantan.

Provincial governors are members of the Civil Service Corps
with modest salaries, but their posts are often associated with
lucrative business opportunities.

Bowing to public pressure for a clean government, President
Soeharto recently ordered ministers and high-ranking officials to
inventory their personal wealth. Ministers must submit their list
to President Soeharto, while governors must direct theirs to the
minister of home affairs.

Soeharto also urged ministers to follow his example of
donating his first year's salary to a campaign helping people
badly affected by the monetary crisis.

There is, however, no stipulation that the personal wealth
lists be made public. In an interview last month, Hartono scoffed
at the suggestion that the public be told about public officials'
wealth.

"How could that be? Would you be willing, if told, to go naked
in public? Everyone has the right to secrecy and privacy. Don't
make demands like (those) made in the dark ages," Hartono told
reporters. (swe)