Many state officials say they have reported debts

JAKARTA (JP): Many state officials claim that they are suffering from debts, the Civil Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) revealed in its latest report on Tuesday.

House of Representatives legislator Imam Churmen claimed that he has debts amounting to more than Rp 371 million that remain unpaid, leaving him with a net wealth of only Rp 29.46 million.

Umar Fahmi Achmadi, director general of communicable diseases at the ministry of health, owes Rp 350 million. This, however, does not make him poor as he still possesses assets worth Rp 1.8 billion.

Included in the report, revealing the wealth of 101 officials, was only one official from the Attorney General's Office and one from the Ministry of Finance.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman has yet to declare his wealth to the commission.

The officials from the Attorney General's Office and the Ministry of Finance, which are alleged to be plagued with corruption, reported that they did not own many assets.

Silahuddin Ayyub, 54, from the office of the deputy attorney general for general crimes, declared that he did not own any plot of land or property. He claimed to own a car worth Rp 20 million and a bank account containing Rp 1.13 million.

Meanwhile, Haryono, 58, who is the commercial director of PT Survai Udara Penas, a survey company under the finance ministry, said he owns a car purchased in 1996, worth Rp 15 million, and a motorcycle worth Rp 10 million. Including jewelry and bank accounts worth Rp 2 million, he has total assets valued at Rp 27.6 million.

The wealthiest person listed is Andi Sose, a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), who reported Rp 82.87 billion in assets and an additional US$1 million held in bank accounts.

The commission also disclosed the assets of two Cabinet ministers, Minister of Resettlement and Infrastructure Erna Witoelar and Minister for Forestry Marzuki Usman.

Erna declared that her family owns assets worth Rp 7.9 billion, plus bank deposits amounting to $439,000. She still has debts of Rp 213 million.

She has three cars with a combined value of Rp 790 million and properties in Jakarta, Bogor and Bandung.

The family owns a building in Moscow, Russia, which they bought in 1994, valued at $95,000. They also have another property in London, England, worth $120,000.

Erna's husband, Rachmat Witoelar, was the Indonesian Ambassador to Russia and Golkar secretary-general.

Marzuki reported assets worth Rp 5.92 billion. Rp 5.3 billion of his wealth is invested in land and buildings purchased since the late 1970s, located in Jakarta, Tangerang, and Cianjur, West Java. (bby)