NGOs demand probe into Muna regent on graft cases

A. Junaidi and Hasrul, Jakarta/Kendari

A group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday to investigate an alleged Rp 7 billion (US$777,000) corruption case involving Muna Regent Ridwan Bae.

The NGOs, including the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), alleged that Ridwan was involved in auctions of illegally cut teakwood in 2002 and 2003, which caused Rp 15 billion in state losses.

ICW deputy coordinator Danang Widoyoko said prosecutors in Southeast Sulawesi regency had brought three local administration officials to court, but were unable to question the regent because they had not received permission from the President.

The anticorruption commission is allowed to question high- ranking government officials, including regents, without presidential consent.

"Muna regency auctioned 12 million cubic meters of illegal teakwood valued at Rp 15 billion in 2002 and 2003, but the regent only reported Rp 8 billion in his accountability speech last year," Danang said.

The chairman of Walhi's Southeast Sulawesi chapter, La Ode Ota, alleged Ridwan knew about and endorsed the auctioning of illegally cut teakwood.

"Based on court testimony, it appears the regent has legalized illegal logging. The regency engineered the logging," Ota said.

He said officials in the regency's forestry office allegedly ordered local residents to cut down teak trees on 4,000 hectares of forest in the regency.

He said the felled trees, which were left in the forest by the residents, were then seized by the forestry office and declared illegal, allowing the officials to auction them.

"Most of the teakwood logs were sold in auctions to certain companies. Most of the companies come from Java, including Jepara (in Central Java), which is known for its teakwood handicrafts," Ota said.

In Muna, Regent Ridwan denied the accusations, saying no state revenue was lost from the teakwood auctions.

"The Rp 17 billion raised from the auctions all went into the state's coffers. We have the documents, including all of the bills from the auction. I do not understand why some people would make these allegations," Ridwan said.

He suspected attempts to link him to a corruption case were politically motivated.

"I have explained everything to the public many times, but they keep on suspecting me," he said.

He also said the NGOs should have sought confirmation from him before going public with the allegations.

"A big institution like the ICW should not blow this case out of proportion. They should have come here to seek proof of the alleged corruption instead of taking a certain party's report for granted," said Ridwan, whose five-year term ends this year.

He said there had been attempts by individuals to undermine his administration, one of those individuals being a dismissed Golkar councillor who was the first to raise the graft allegation.