Hoarding of medicine at Batam condemned
Hoarding of medicine at Batam condemned
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam
A corruption watchdog and an alliance of student associations
called on both the Batam Legislative Council and the government
prosecutor's office to investigate corrupt and collusive
practices in the municipal administration, allegedly involving a
local senior official.
Batam Corruption Watch (BCW) and the Alliance of Student
Executive Bodies (BEM) questioned why both the legislature and
the prosecutor's office had kept silent about reports of
corruption involving the local health office.
Husbandri, head of the investigative section of BCW, said the
hoarding of generic drugs and medical equipment at the local
office which was revealed by councillors recently was strong
enough evidence for the two institutions to launch an
investigation.
"BCW will report the case to the Attorney General's Office and
the central government if it is not investigated," he said here
over the weekend.
Last Monday, several councillors revealed that generic drugs
and medical equipment worth Rp 3 billion were being hoarded at
the local health office's storehouse. According to the local
administration's 2002 budget, the drugs and medical equipment
should have been distributed to nine public health centers on the
island.
Husbandri said the hoarding of the medicine and medical
equipment was linked to the supply of medicine to clinic and
pharmacy Vitka belonging to Batam Deputy Mayor Asman Abnur.
"BCW has strong evidence that a part of the medicine and
medical equipment in the clinic and dispensary are supplied by
the local health office," he said.
Muhammad Yasin, a councillor of the local chapter of the
National Mandate Party, said the prosecutor's office should also
investigate the hoarding of medicine along with the appointment
of the deputy mayor's sister and other relatives in strategic
positions at the health office.
He said that the top post in the health office was occupied by
Puardi Djarius, the deputy mayor's brother-in-law while his wife
Zas Juniarti, also Asman's sister, controlled the drug and food
section at the health office. Afriani, Asman's younger sister,
occupies the family health and campaign section in the same
office.
Ispandir, chairman of BEM, said the organization's executive
board would hold a hearing with the city legislative council to
submit their demands for the investigation into the corruption
and collusion at the health office.
"We will exert pressure on the city authorities to investigate
the case thoroughly," he said.
Hartoyo Sirkoen, spokesman for the city administration,
rejected the accusations of corruption, collusion and nepotism
against the deputy mayor, saying that not only the deputy mayor's
relatives but President Megawati Soekarnoputri's children also
had the same rights as other citizens to work anywhere they chose
to.