Latief ready to clarify bill financing row to House
Latief ready to clarify bill financing row to House
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief has agreed to
explain to the House of Representatives his office's
controversial use of funds from a state-owned insurance firm to
finance legislators deliberating the manpower bill at an
expensive hotel.
Latief has, over the past several days, refused to comment on
the disbursement of billions of rupiah from PT Jamsostek for a
group of 1992/1997 House members discussing the bill.
Deputy House Speaker Syarwan Hamid said yesterday Latief had
welcomed a hearing with the House, although he had not arranged
time for it.
"I have met him (Latief) recently and he said he was ready for
a dialog with the House. He is open to answering the queries,"
Syarwan said.
Syarwan said Latief was also willing to offer an explanation
should the Attorney General and the Development and Finance
Control Agency wish to investigate the alleged mismanagement of
the funds.
"The House hearing with the minister will likely take place
after the Development and Finance Control Agency completes its
auditing of the funds disbursement," said Syarwan.
He said he expected the hearing would end speculation that
Latief had used the money to grease the House's wheels to pass
the bill.
The bill was passed by the House on Sept. 11 and was signed by
the President on Oct. 3, but will only be effective from Oct. 1
next year.
Latief had asked for Rp 7.1 billion (US$2.15 billion) from PT
Jamsostek to finance the deliberation, but the firm could provide
only Rp 3.1 it took from its current budget allotted for the
protection of workers and membership expenditure.
Jamsostek president Abdullah Nusi said the funds were
relatively small, compared to the greater protection of workers
once the Manpower Law becomes effective.
Nusi said the money had been spent for, among other things,
accommodation, food, secretariat and transportation expenses
during the two months of deliberation at Hotel Horison, Ancol,
North Jakarta.
The United Development Party (PPP) faction demanded House
leaders Thursday to summon Latief to clarify the disbursement of
the money.
Syarwan said House leaders had arranged a discussion about the
plan to hear Latief's explanation during their weekly meeting
next Tuesday.
Corruption
The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) demanded the
Attorney General question Latief for an alleged abuse of public
funds.
The foundation's chairman, Bambang Widjojanto, said Jamsostek
president's confession Wednesday was more than enough for the
Attorney to start an investigation.
"The disbursement of funds can be categorized as corruption
and bribery if it is proven that it has been used to smooth the
way to the bill," Bambang said.
He said Latief's ex-officio position as Jamsostek's president
commissioner and a state official who oversees the company
enabled him to commit financial abuse.
Bambang said that the House legislators involved in the
deliberation should also be questioned for allegedly taking
bribes.
A 1970 law allows the police to question House of
Representatives legislators with the President's consent. The law
applied last year to some Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
legislators, including Megawati Soekarnoputri and Aberson Marle
Sihaloho.
Bambang also questioned the validity of the Manpower Law
following the row, and demanded the government and the House
review the law.
"This scandal has disclosed many political and moral flaws in
the bill deliberation," Bambang said.
Meanwhile, YLBHI's head of labor division Teten said that the
alleged corruption and bribery case must be investigated entirely
by the government.
"The government will lose public confidence if it fails to
carry out a thorough investigation," Teten said.
"The government will also face great political risk due to a
flurry of problems now battering the country, including the
current economic crisis," he added. (10/amd)