Jakarta councillors questioned over Ancol scam

Jakarta councillors questioned over Ancol scam

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Prosecutor's Office questioned three
city councillors, including the council's deputy speaker Tarmidi
Suhardjo, on Wednesday in connection with their controversial
overseas trips last year.

Spokesperson for the prosecutor's office Seremita Purba said
Tarmidi Suhardjo and two other councillors Tarmidi Edy Suwarno
and Ali Imran Husein were grilled from 10 a.m until evening by
four prosecutors.

"Several questions centered on travel allowances they received
although they did not join the trips," Seremita said.

She said her office expected to complete the investigation
into the case next week.

"By the end of this investigation, we hope that we can name
the suspects," she said.

Tarmidi Suhardjo and Tarmidi Edy Suwarno are from the majority
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) while
Ali Imran is from the United Development Party (PPP). The three
earlier claimed that they had returned the travel allowances.

Four more councillors will face questioning in the case,
namely City Council speaker Edy Waluyo and FX Marsiadi of the
Indonesian Military (TNI)/Police faction; Zayadi Musa of PPP; and
Totok Ismunandar of PDI Perjuangan.

Financed by the city-owned developer PT Pembangunan Jaya
Ancol, 45 city officials and councillors joined a seven-day trip
last October to three different destinations: Australia, Japan
and South Africa.

Those who went to Japan continued their tour to South Korea
and Hong Kong although it was never scheduled.

Besides reportedly receiving travel allowances from the
company of between US$5,000 and US$10,000, the councillors
received Rp 52 million (US$5,200) each taken from the 2000 City
Budget.

The councillors are members of the Council's Commission D for
development affairs. They were invited by the company which was
seeking the council's approval of its marine property project in
Ancol, North Jakarta.

City Inspector Hendarin Ono Saleh earlier recommended that
Governor Sutiyoso punish the 11 officials who joined the trips.
While nine of them were handed administrative sanctions, the city
development agency chief Bambang Sungkono and the city planning
agency head Ahmaddin Ahmad, who both were invited on the foreign
tours, were not given any punishment. (jun)