Legislator faces expulsion after rejecting 'bribe'

Yongker Rumthe The Jakarta Post Manado

Ang Marentek, a Golkar Faction budget committee member in the North Sulawesi Provincial Legislature, has refused to accept what he termed a mysterious payment of Rp 30 million, arguing that the money was of unclear provenance.

"I have flatly refused to accept the money offered during faction and budget meetings because the source of the money is not clear. It is high time for us to tell the truth. I am an old man and I have to set a good example to the public," Marentek said here on Tuesday.

Marentek revealed that the first Rp 30 million out of a sum of Rp 100 million promised to each legislator was paid out last week, and a number of councillors were currently pressing the budget committee to disburse another Rp 55 million prior to a trip they plan to make to a number of European countries. He added the rest was to be disbursed soon afterward.

"Each House member is to receive Rp 100 million before they tour Europe plus another Rp 40 million to cover the cost of each member's overseas travel," he disclosed.

Marentek, known for his commitment to fighting bribery, is now under the threat of being recalled and expelled from the budget committee.

Council Speaker Syachrial Damapolii said he did not want to comment on the stance taken by Marentek, but added that the funds were provided for in the budget.

"It is misleading for him to call the funds mysterious because all the budget allocations are clearly set out," he said without elaborating on the source of the money.

Syachrial admitted that he, along with other council members, was scheduled to leave for the Netherlands, France and Brussels to explore the possibility of attracting new investors to North Sulawesi from those countries.