Mega gets third notice from anticorruption body

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has sent its third warning letters to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Cabinet members as the Dec. 21 deadline for wealth reports looms.

M. Yasin, KPK director handling government officials' wealth reports, told reporters on Wednesday that only former vice president Hamzah Haz and former tourism and cultural minister I Gede Ardika had submitted their reports.

"Ibu Mega reported her wealth before presidential elections began in July, but she has not yet sent us the report on her latest wealth obtained between that time and the end of her presidency in October," Yasin said.

Megawati, who is also the leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), reportedly bought a house on Jl. Teuku Umar in an upmarket area of Menteng worth Rp 20 billion just before she left office.

The ministers in Megawati's Cabinet that were retained by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, have already declared their respective wealth reports; namely, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Hassan Wirajuda, as well as National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and Indonesia Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto.

Law No. 28/1999 on corruption-free governance and Law No. 30/2002 on the KPK require state officials to declare their wealth within a certain period of time after either inauguration or when they leave office.

The laws require other state officials, including legislators, to submit their wealth reports to the commission to maintain transparency and monitor possible irregularities. However, the laws do not impose sanctions for government officials who refuse to submit their wealth reports.

Yasin also stated that the KPK had yet to obtain wealth reports from seven of the 547 members of the House of Representatives (DPR), either from the General Elections Commission (KPU) or the legislators themselves.

While members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) who have not yet declared their wealth stands at 55 of the 128.

The KPU requires legislative candidates to submit their reports before entering their names in the legislative election in April.

DPD members who have not submitted their wealth reports included Mooryati Sudibyo, a DPD member who is also the deputy speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), DPD deputy chairman Irman Gusman, La Ode Ida, Raja Inal Siregar and Budi Santoso.

The deadline for both legislators and DPD members to submit their reports was on Wednesday, two months after their inauguration on Oct. 1.

KPK leaders earlier vowed to turn in former and new state officials, including ministers and legislators, to the police if any failed to submit their latest wealth reports to the commission.