I use my own money, Sutiyoso says

I use my own money, Sutiyoso says

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso denied on Wednesday
allegations he used the city budget to finance the maintenance of
his cars, upkeep of his pets and the foreign schooling of one of
his children.

"It's wrong if somebody says that I've used the people's money
for my personal needs. I use my own money," Sutiyoso calmly told
The Jakarta Post at City Hall.

He acknowledged there might have been some truth to the
allegation at the start of his tenure.

"There were mistakes here and there in the beginning, when I
was first elected governor... but I kept on correcting those
mistakes and I continue to do so," he said.

One of his measures, he added, was to purchase less expensive
clothes.

The governor told Jakartans to ignore the allegations because
"it never happened."

"I know about the crisis. I can buy clothes and other things
with my own money... I will never use money from the budget."

A senior city official on Monday accused Sutiyoso of dipping
into "a great deal" of the city budget for his personal use.

The official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that he
and other senior officials would soon send a warning letter to
Sutiyoso outlining the scope of his gubernatorial rights and
responsibilities.

The source also alleged that funds illegally taken from the
city budget were used to pay the maintenance costs of Sutiyoso's
luxury cars.

Sutiyoso said on Wednesday he kept five official and private
vehicles -- a Cherokee, Land Cruiser jeeps, Kijang van, Crown and
Timor sedans.

"That's it. What's mine, I pay for it (the maintenance)
entirely... so don't worry about it," he said with a smile.
(ylt)