Ministers, DPR slow to report assets

Ministers, DPR slow to report assets

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

None of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Cabinet members had
submitted a wealth report to the Corruption Eradication
Commission (KPK) as of Friday, a commission member stated.

As part of efforts to create a clean government, Susilo told
his new ministers last Friday to submit their reports to the
commission within a week.

But KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas said Friday
that his office had yet to get the reports from the Cabinet
members.

He also said that none of the legislators sworn in on Oct. 1
had submitted their wealth reports.

"We haven't received any," Erry said.

The commission, which was set up to fight corruption here,
gave legislators until Nov. 1 to submit their wealth reports.

On Thursday, KPK chairman Taufikurrahman Ruki met Cabinet
Secretary Sudi Silalahi, however Sudi requested more time for the
ministers to complete their wealth reports.

There was no official announcement about their tardiness, but
Ruki said that some of the new ministers had never filled out a
wealth report and so were not familiar with the requirements.

As for the legislators, KPK director for wealth reports M.
Yasin said the office had not yet received any wealth reports
from the new national or city legislators.

He explained that his office had asked the General Elections
Commission (KPU) to forward the wealth reports that they had
received from legislators before the election.

"We do not have exact figures for all the regional and
national legislators across the country. But the KPU has those
figures," Yasin said.

Candidates contesting the April 5 legislative elections were
required to submit their wealth reports to the commission before
being declared eligible to run.

There are roughly 12,000 legislators at various administrative
levels around the country.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusuma admitted that his office had the
reports, but stressed that they were not complete.

"The reports are very short, but we will send them if the KPK
needs them," he said.

Law No. 28/1999 on good governance and Law No. 30/2002 on the
antigraft commission requires state officials to declare their
wealth before and after assuming office.

The laws require other state officials, including legislators,
to submit their wealth reports to the KPK in a bid to maintain
transparency and monitor possible irregularities.

However, there is no penalty stipulated for state officials
who fail to disclose their wealth. If state officials make false
statements on their wealth reports, they can only be charged with
making false reports.

The KPK will only look into reports that seem to contain
irregularities.