House names 45 members of wealth inquiry commission

House names 45 members of wealth inquiry commission

JAKARTA (JP): The Houses of Representatives will officially
name the 45 members of the Inquiry Commission on State Official's
Wealth here on Thursday.

Among the 45 members, which will be endorsed in the House's
plenary session, are Abdullah Hehamahua, the chairman of the
Masyumi Islamic Party; Eggi Sudjana, activist of the Crescent
Star Party (PBB); and lawyer Petrus Selestinus of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

Also included in the list is chairman of the Indonesian
Journalists' Association (PWI) Tarman Azzam.

The Islamic-based United Development Party placed some of its
cadres on the commission, including Saleh Khalid and Yusuf Sjakir
who is also a member of the Supreme Advisory Council.

At least two former prosecutors are included in the list,
including Chairul Imam, former chief prosecutor of the
investigation against former President Soeharto and Gaguk
Subayanto, formerly of the South Sulawesi prosecutors office.

Former chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumer Foundation
Institute (YLKI) Zumrotin K. Susilo and economic columnist
Winarno Zain are also on the list.

The names were screened from of a list of 205 candidates
by a special working team from the House's Commission II on
Domestic and Legal Affairs.

Several popular names on the original list, including the
Indonesian Corruption Watch's Teten Masduki, human rights
activist Bambang Widjojanto and former chairman of the National
Commission on Human Rights member Baharuddin Lopa, were screened
out.

No immediate reason was given for their exclusion.

Golkar legislator Laode Djeni Asmar said the 45 selected
members have undergone a "fit and proper test" conducted between
June 20 and July 2.

"They all agreed to be investigated and to declare their
wealth to the Supreme Audit Agency," Laode, a member of the
House's Commission II told journalists on Wednesday.

He said the 45 names were selected "proportionally" from
government and public proposals.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said earlier this year that the
commission would have one chairman, four deputy chairmen and 40
members tasked with auditing officials from state institutions
and state-owned companies.

The 1999 Law on Clean Governance stipulates the establishment
of an independent commission with at least 25 members to audit
the wealth of state officials. The commission should be approved
by the House before being sworn in by the president.

The establishment of the commission is also stipulated in the
letter of intent between the government and the International
Monetary Fund. (jun)