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)