Mayor says he will step up probe on corruption
Mayor says he will step up probe on corruption
JAKARTA (JP): Amidst allegations that a number of military and
civil servants of the East Jakarta administration were involved
in a corruption case, Mayor Sudarsono said yesterday that he will
step up efforts to overcome the problem.
Sudarsono, however, declined to give details of the
development of the investigation, saying that he will tell the
media about the case after cooling down the tense situation.
Earlier reports said that six government officials and four
military officers had received free plots of land in the Pondok
Kopi area, East Jakarta, from PT Mas Naga Raya real estate
company.
The total 1.3-hectare plot in the housing area was initially
intended to be kept as a public area, a must for every developer,
which would include a park and a mosque.
Analysts have repeatedly said that Jakarta needs a lot of
public space following complaints that children, as well as other
residents of the capital, have inadequate playing grounds, parks
and other environmentally healthy zones.
Sudarsono, however, added on Sunday that two of his staff
members had already received the plots as "rations" from PT Mas
Naga Raya, but returned them after the controversy caused by the
media.
He added that the Jakarta Inspectorate's Office had been
invited to probe into the case following the allegation that an
official of the East Jakarta Inspectorate's Office was also
involved in the scandal.
The management of PT Mas Naga Raya, whose office is on Jl.
Cemara Raya Kav. K-1 in Bekasi, West Java, however, was not
available for comment over the past two days.
A staff member of the firm said in a telephone conversation
with The Jakarta Post yesterday that the management is still
consolidating the data on the land use of the Mas Naga Raya real
estate.
He declined to mention the full name of the firm's president,
its shareholders, or the reason behind such a controversy.
The report said that some alleged corruptors received 200-
square-meter plots, while others received 300, or 500-square-
meter parcels.
Ismet S. Hasan, the head of Duren Sawit district, said
yesterday that the mayor of East Jakarta had conducted a meeting
with officials as well as the management of the firm over the
issue.
Ismet, however, declined to give details, saying that the
mayor had told all of his men not to give information to the
press.
"You have better ask the mayor himself. He was feeling
uncomfortable with the latest development," he said, apparently
referring to the remark of Governor Surjadi Soedirdja on Monday
who will question the mayor over the case.
Real estate
Meanwhile, Nugroho Suksmanto, the chairman of the Jakarta-
chapter of Real Estate Indonesia (REI), said yesterday that he
will probably question the management of PT Mas Naga Raya over
the allegation.
"If the member of my organization is right, of course I have
to stand by his side. It is the duty of an organization to
protect its members," Nugroho said, adding that he had not
received any reports about mismanagement in the real estate firm.
Lawyer Frans Hendra Winarta, however, said yesterday that it
is a custom here for real estate companies to prepare "rations"
for their official counterparts to help eliminate red tape.
Referring to an official oath, Frans said that civil servants
are strictly prohibited from taking any gifts or services from
the public.
"However, things are totally different between aspirations and
realities. Corruption is one of the biggest problems in
Indonesia," he added.
Nugroho said that the result of any wrongdoing by any member
of REI is an internal sanction.
Councilors from various parties also urged the government to
take firm measures against corrupt officials. (09)