More irregularities at KPU revealed
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.