More irregularities at KPU revealed
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A new audit report by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has revealed more irregularities involving over Rp 179 billion (US$18.8 million) in funds allocated for last year's legislative election by the General Elections Commission (KPU).
The report on the KPU's budget management was presented on Tuesday by BPK head Anwar Nasution to the House of Representatives in Jakarta.
Earlier, the BPK had submitted an investigative audit report on funds used to procure electoral materials (ballot boxes, ballot papers, ink, and information and technology facilities) for the April 5, 2004 general elections.
The first report indicated that the KPU misappropriated more than Rp 90 billion from funds meant for that election.
Anwar said on Tuesday that he hoped the House's Commission II overseeing legal and domestic affairs would study the report and follow up on it.
In the second audit report, the BPK found indications of at least 33 irregularities worth more than Rp 179.44 billion in KPU's budget for the general elections.
The alleged malfeasance included state income losses from taxes and fines for KPU's partner companies, involving Rp 19.4 billion, and mark-ups in prices of election materials worth up to Rp 111.9 billion.
The price mark-ups included those for providing the data processing package and for validation of names of legislative candidates, involving a total of Rp 6.44 billion.
The report also shows that the KPU wasted taxpayers' money by buying expensive cars for its members, with a total of Rp 2.98 billion being spent for this purpose.
The latest report also revealed indications of irregularities in budget accounting, leading to losses of up to Rp 15.2 billion.
The Rp 179.44 billion worth of alleged irregularities accounted for 10.27 percent of KPK funds that were audited by the BPK, totaling Rp 1.747 trillion out of the commission's total budget of Rp 2.52 trillion for the legislative election.
"These are the irregularities we have found. We can't say whether it was corruption or not because it's not our duty to say that. We'll leave it to law enforcers to investigate the case," Anwar said.
He blamed the alleged irregularities on a lack of coordination between the KPU and its provincial and regental branches in managing election funds.
"It is also because KPU members ignored the country's financial condition, and did not use the money effectively. What they aimed for was how to carry out their mission of holding the general elections on time," Anwar said.
He urged the National Police, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to launch or continue graft investigations into the KPU based on the report.
The KPK is currently investigating bribery and corruption cases within the national election organizer. The antigraft commission is detaining KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, deputy secretary general Sussongko Suhardjo and treasurer Hamdani Amin for intensive questioning.
"It is difficult (for the BPK) to make an investigative report now that the KPK has taken over the KPU office. It has sealed it off, confiscated documents and arrested those involved, thus making it impossible for us to get access," Anwar said.
However, he said the BPK was ready to continue the audit on KPU funds used to procure the legislative election materials if the House requested it.
Anwar said the BPK would conduct two more audits on financial aspects of the July 5, 2004 presidential election and Sept. 20, 2004 election runoff, as well as investigate alleged irregularities in 16 provincial KPUs and 48 regental KPUs.
"We're hoping to finish these last two audits by mid-June," he said.