NGO files lawsuit against DPRD members

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)