Law enforcers told to pursue graft in KPUD

Law enforcers told to pursue graft in KPUD

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City Councillors are urging law enforcers here to follow up on
the findings of Commission A for legal and administrative affairs
that the Jakarta Elections Commission (KPUD) had misused at least
Rp 9.7 billion (US$1.03 million) of its 2004 budget of Rp 168.6
billion.

Commission A member Thamrin argued on Sunday that Commission
A's report into alleged corruption in the KPUD had become a
public document, and thus law enforcers -- prosecutors, the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and police -- had to
investigate it further.

"They (law enforcers) have the right to follow up any report
about alleged corruption, including from the public. Therefore,
they must further investigate the findings of Commission A," he
told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

According to Thamrin, who is a councillor of the National
Mandate Party (PAN), law enforcers did not need to wait until
City Council leaders issue a formal report on the alleged
corruption.

In its report issued on May 2, Commission A, which probed
suspected corruption practices in KPUD Jakarta, said that the
election commission had marked up the prices of electoral staff
vests resulting in state losses reaching Rp 9.7 billion. It also
suggested that KPUD members had failed to pay income and value-
added taxes amounting to Rp 4.2 billion.

The marks-up were found in the purchase of 180,000 vests for
KPUD electoral staff that cost Rp 12 billion, meaning that each
vest cost around Rp 66,700, far higher than the market price of
Rp 25,000.

In 2004, KPUD received Rp 168.6 billion from the city budget
to organize one legislative election and two presidential
elections. It also received another Rp 5.5 billion in funds from
the state budget. This year, the city allocated Rp 3.5 billion
for KPUD operational costs.

Apart from distributing its report to journalists, Commission
A also submitted it to the Council's leaders to be approved as a
Council document. The Council's leaders are scheduled to issue a
recommendation on the case on Monday.

Several councillors, however, feared that the Council's
leaders would reduce the case to a matter of common
'irregularities', meaning it would only be investigated by the
City Audit Agency (Bawasda), whose credibility has frequently
been questioned.

Sharing Thamrin's opinion, Muhammad Arifin of the Prosperous
Justice Party (PKS) also expressed the hope that law enforcers
would immediately investigate the case to disclose alleged
embezzlement in the election commission.

"Our findings can be used as initial evidence for further
investigation by law enforcers. Therefore, there are strong
reasons for them to follow up on the case," Arifin, who is also a
Commission A member, told the Post.

According to Arifin, the Council's leaders should not only
hand over the Council's recommendation to Bawasda, but also to
other relevant agencies like the police, prosecutions office,
KPK, and also the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

"As a political institution, we do not have right to
investigate the case, therefore, we must hand over our findings
to relevant agencies," he said.