KPKPN to audit Gus Dur's wealth

JAKARTA (JP): In compliance with the nation's paternalistic culture, the National Commission on State Officials' Assets (KPKPN) would audit President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid's wealth as its top priority, an official said on Tuesday.

"We will first audit the President's wealth because in Indonesia, which is a country known for its paternalistic culture, high-ranking state officials tend to behave like kings," Chairul Imam, a member of the commission, said in a media conference here.

Chairul, who is a former director for corruption investigation at the Attorney General's Office, however, admitted that the new commission had its own limitations in terms of being able to prosecute.

"KPKPN's main duties are to audit the state officials' wealth. If it finds irregularities during an audit, the case will be handed over to the National Police and the Attorney General's Office, which will be responsible for further investigation," he said.

Yusuf Syakir, another commission member, agreed with Chairul's opinions, saying that the commission did not have the authority to audit the wealth of the officials' cronies and family members either.

Yusuf said he was optimistic that the commission would be able to perform its tasks to minimize corruption practices in the country.

"Corruption in Indonesia is not a culture, but a chronic disease," he said.

Meanwhile, chairman of the now defunct House of Representatives (DPR) working committee for the establishment of the commission, Ferry Mursyidan Baldan, reiterated that the House would revoke its approval of the commission's existence if the President failed to give an explanation on the reduction of the commission members.

"The House will likely revoke its approval. The presidential decree will not have its legitimacy anymore," Ferry, who is deputy chairman of the House Commission II for domestic and legal affairs, said on Tuesday.

He said the House regretted the government's decision to cut the number of commission members to 25 from 45 as recommended by the House without prior consultation.

"The government should not reduce the commission members since the House had already taken all the responsibility in the face of public criticism over certain names in the commission," he said.

Several names who had been suggested by the House, including "demonstration leader" Eggi Sudjana and chairman of the Indonesian Journalists Association (PWI) Tarman Azzam, missed the cut. (rms/jun)