NGOs smell graft in Ladia Galaska project
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh
A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Aceh called on the martial law administration on Wednesday to investigate possible irregularities in the controversial Ladia Galaska highway project.
The Working Group for Peaceful Aceh Without Corruption -- which consists of four local NGOs -- announced on Wednesday it had obtained authentic data showing the manipulation of some Rp 30 billion of both state budget (APBN) and regional budget (APBD) funds earmarked for the project in 2002.
"The audit reports of the APBN and APBD funds allocated for the project overlapped," said Akhiruddin, a member of the working group.
The money disbursed by both APBN and APBD for construction of the 100-kilometer road project reached more than Rp 10 billion.
Governor Abdullah Puteh's 2002 accountability report of the Ladia Galaska project also indicated corruption in that it differed from the report submitted by the Ministry of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure of the same project.
"The governor reported a total of Rp 18.908 billion of the APBD funds was allocated for the project in 2002, while the ministry reported a total of Rp 25.72 billion," said Akhiruddin.
Puteh and Minister of Settlement and Regional Infrastructure Soenarno are avid supporters of the development of Ladia Galaska, which has drawn strong opposition from the State Minister of the Environment Nabiel Makarim and Minister of Forestry Mohamad Prakosa.
Akhiruddin revealed the Aceh administration had used Rp 3.9 billion -- allocated for the Ladia Galaska project -- to finance other road projects, without an explanation.
Construction of the Ladia Galaska project, which cuts through protected forest, started two years ago. It is expected that the project will be finished in 2005. The central government has allocated Rp 1.5 trillion for the project.
Meanwhile, head of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) in Aceh Muhammad Ibrahim, said the project had failed to run to schedule, despite the billions of rupiah the government had spent.
"There are a lot of irregularities," he said.
So far, some 10 kilometers of road from Lamsemot to Beutong Ateuh has been finished. The condition of the road, however, is less than satisfactory, according to Ibrahim.
He revealed a letter from the team set up by the settlement and infrastructure ministry to monitor the project, which complained of "intimidation" during the team's time in Aceh.
In another development, the Banda Aceh court heard two witnesses in Wahli's lawsuit against the road project.
The witnesses, identified as Jamaluddin and Abdullah S., admitted they had been aware of roadwork from Jeuram to Beutong Ateuh in 2002.
Walhi took the government and the Aceh administration to court for going ahead with the Ladia Galaska project without an Environmental Impact Analysis (AMDAL), despite the fact that it cut through protected forest.
"The forestry law requires the President to issue a regulation, which changes its status from protected forest to industrial area," Bambang Antariksa, Walhi's lawyer, said.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri gave the green light to the development of the Ladia Galaska project two months ago, despite protests from both local and international communities.