MoU to be signed to empower wealth audit commission

MoU to be signed to empower wealth audit commission

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) will sign a
Memorandum of Understanding that will allow an investigation into
state officials, including military officers, whom the commission
suspects of having been involved in corruption, collusion and
nepotism.

The signing is expected to take place in a week, and will
involve KPKPN chief Yusuf Syakir, Attorney General MA Rachman,
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo AS and National
Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

Yusuf said the MoU was needed because Law No. 28/1999 on clean
governance did not stipulate any steps for following up on the
commission's findings that certain officials had obtained their
wealth through improper channels.

"If a civilian is believed to have been involved in graft, the
investigation will be conducted by either the police or the
prosecutors. The process will also apply in the military, with
the Military Police investigating officers who are alleged to
have committed a crime," Yusuf told reporters at his office on
Jl. Juanda in Central Jakarta.

Since its establishment a year ago, the KPKPN has received
wealth declarations from only around 1,000 state officials and
legislators. During its five-year term, the commission is
targeting 50,000 officials from the top to the lowest echelons in
the executive, legislature and judiciary.

Yusuf said that in its verification of the wealth declarations
submitted by 126 House of Representatives legislators, the
commission suspected that five declarants had obtained at least
some of their wealth through corruption, collusion, or nepotism.

The KPKPN has also found irregularities in the wealth
declarations of seven first echelon officials, four court
officials and four officials of state-owned companies, according
to Yusuf.

The law says that the commission should report the alleged
graft to the President, the House, and the Supreme Audit Agency.

Asked whether the TNI chief's presence at the signing of the
MoU was related to reports that some military figures were
allegedly involved in graft, Yusuf said: "Like other state
officials, military officers, as part of the executive branch,
must declare their wealth to us. The TNI chief will help us
investigate officers involved in corruption, collusion, or
nepotism."

The military top brass have all declared their wealth, with
the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief Lt. Gen.
Ryamizard Ryacudu topping the list with Rp 3.5 billion in total
assets.

The military has come under fire for its lack of transparency
in providing financial reports on its institutions and
foundations, which are commonly engaged in business.