Induction of graft convicts angers public
Induction of graft convicts angers public
The Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Padang/Banda Aceh
The swearing in of graft convicts and suspects at the
legislatures of Cirebon, Banda Aceh and Padang municipalities has
sparked protests among the local people.
In Cirebon, hundreds of students staged a protest on Wednesday
after they discovered that 11 of 30 councillors -- who had been
inaugurated that day for the 2004-2009 term -- were suspects in a
graft case.
Protesting at the Cirebon Council, the students yelled at the
councillors and demanded the 11 suspects to resign.
The 11 had been reelected to the council in the April 5
election, and are facing trial on charges of embezzling Rp 997.8
million (US$105,031) in operational funds from the municipal
budget.
The 11 represent several political parties in Cirebon,
including the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the
National Mandate Party (PAN).
The secretary-general of the Indonesian Nationalist Students
Movement and coordinator of the protest, Soibary, said: "(The
councillors cannot be trusted any more."
He also called on other student groups and anticorruption
activists in Cirebon to step up pressure against the inauguration
of the allegedly corrupt councillors.
Separately, Cirebon Cultural Council chairman Achmad
Syubbanuddin Alwy proposed that the respective political parties
recall the 11 councillors to restore public trust in the council.
In Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh Nanggroe Darussalam province,
six councillors who are defendants in a graft case are due to be
inaugurated in September.
Despite mounting public pressure, Yusmar, the chairman of
Banda Aceh General Election Commission (KPU), said that the KPU
would remain inaugurate them on the ground that the Banda Aceh
district court had not handed down verdict above five years in
jail to them. According to law, only councillors sentenced above
five years in jail will be expelled from the legislature.
The six councillors were arrested in May for allegedly
embezzling Rp 5.6 billion (US$589,473) of the Banda Aceh budget.
In the West Sumatra capital of Padang, seven of the 45 members
of the Padang city council sworn in last Friday for the new five-
year term stand accused of misappropriating Rp 10.4 billion
(US$1.15 million) from the 2001-2002 budget.
In addition, of the 55 provincial legislators to be sworn in
this month, three are former city councillors being tried by the
Padang District Court for their roles in the same scandal.
"The trend just goes to show that our leaders are not
thoroughly screened," said Dr. Mestika Zed, a history professor
at Padang State University.
Mestika is also a former coordinator of the Care for West
Sumatra Forum (FPSB), an anticorruption watchdog that uncovered
the graft cases of the West Sumatra legislature and the Padang
municipal council.
"This clearly indicates the weakness of law enforcers, not
only in combating corruption, but also in other cases. Why have
convicts and suspects been sworn in? Their induction could have
been postponed," he said.
Mestika also urged the public and the media to object vocally
and consistently against other suspects and convicts holding
public office.