NGO files lawsuit against DPRD members

SURABAYA (JP): A prominent non-governmental organization (NGO) filed a class action lawsuit here on Tuesday against 18 members of the provincial legislature over recent foreign travel.

Acting on behalf of the people, the Surabaya chapter of the Indonesia Legal Aid filed the suit with the Surabaya district court on Tuesday.

Spokesman for the group, M. Ma'ruf Syah, told reporters that the lawsuit was filed over a four-day trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand by the 18 provincial legislators last August.

Ma'ruf said the three countries were not on the agenda as the legislators were only scheduled to travel to Medan, Manado and Batam.

"They changed the itinerary of their working visit to Medan, Batam and Manado to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand," Ma'ruf said.

He said that the plaintiffs were demanding that Rp 142.5 million for material losses and Rp 34 billion for punitive damages be paid to the people.

The plaintiffs also demanded that the legislators publicly apologize for making the trip. The apology must be carried in at least five national and local newspapers.

They also demanded that the legislators return cars and houses and all other property paid for with public funds to the state.

Reports said the legislators were from the National Awakening Party, the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the Indonesian Military/Police faction and the National Mandate Party.

Speaker of the East Java provincial legislature Bisjri Abdul Djalil told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that he would not interfere with the case and that the legislators would have to undergo due process of law. (nur)