Nine officials punished over Ancol scam
Nine officials punished over Ancol scam
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration announced on Wednesday
that sanctions would be imposed on nine of the 11 officials
investigated in connection with controversial overseas trips made
last October.
Head of the investigation team from the City Inspectorate
Office Sudirman Arifin said the officials, mostly low-ranking
staffers, were found guilty of misuse of funds and making the
trips without the governor's knowledge.
"Based on our investigation of the 11 city officials in
respect of administrative irregularities, nine of them have
misused funds and participated in an overseas trip without the
governor's consent," said Sudirman. He declined to identify the
errant officials.
The most serious violation was committed by five officials,
who worked as staffers and senior officials in the City Council
Secretariat. Sudirman said that all of them had accepted two
travel allowances, one from the city administration and one from
the partly city-owned company PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol (PJA).
"One of them will be denied his annual promotion, another two
will not receive their annual salary increments, while the
remaining two will be issued with letters of censure from the
governor," explained Sudirman.
He said that each of the officials had received about Rp 50
million taken from the 2000 city budget, on top of the allowances
provided by PJA.
The city funds, totaling Rp 205 million, have been returned to
the City Petty Cash Office, said Sudirman.
"These sanctions are considered 'medium to light', but it will
affect their career appraisals in the future," said Sudirman.
Meanwhile, the other four city officials would each receive a
verbal warning.
According to the findings of the investigation, some of the
officials had also extended their trips to other destinations
which were not included in the official itinerary.
Citing an example, Sudirman said those who participated in the
trip to Tokyo continued on to Seoul and Hong Kong.
"It proves that they have violated the schedule and budget set
for their assignments," said Sudirman.
The trips drew controversy due to allegations that PJA paid Rp
2.1 billion to fund the so-called comparative studies for a group
of 45 people comprising councillors and city officials between
Oct. 9 and Oct. 15. The trips were to three different
destinations -- Cape Town and Johannesburg, Sydney, and Tokyo.
Governor Sutiyoso has confirmed that the fund was disbursed
without his approval as the chief commissioner of the company.
Sudirman said that the investigators found two city officials
innocent of any wrongdoing as their participation in the trips
had been approved by the governor, even though they admitted to
having received an allowance from PAJ.
Speculation had been rife prior to Wednesday's announcement
that the city administration would sacrifice lower ranking
officials as scapegoats in the scam.
However, Sutiyoso defended his administration on Wednesday,
saying that he had taken fair measures against those found guilty
in the Ancol scam.
"I'm not afraid to punish them since they are all my staff,"
Sutiyoso told journalists after presenting awards to the winners
of a small business competition at City Hall.
He claimed that he had asked the city's disciplinary council
to review the results of the investigation before definitively
imposing the administrative sanctions.
Among the top city officials interrogated were Jakarta
Development Agency chief Bambang Sungkono, the City Land Agency
chief Ahmaddin Ahmad and his deputy Nurfakih.
The Jakarta Prosecutor Office's has questioned 14 councillors
who participated in the trips in connection with the scandal.
The city administration punished 24 officials in March of last
year after they were found guilty of misusing city advertising
funds.
The sanctions included dismissal, demotion and administrative
sanctions. (04/07)
JAKARTA (JP): The city administration announced on Wednesday
that sanctions would be imposed on nine of the 11 officials
investigated in connection with controversial overseas trips made
last October.
Head of the investigation team from the City Inspectorate
Office Sudirman Arifin said the officials, mostly low-ranking
staffers, were found guilty of misuse of funds and making the
trips without the governor's knowledge.
"Based on our investigation of the 11 city officials in
respect of administrative irregularities, nine of them have
misused funds and participated in an overseas trip without the
governor's consent," said Sudirman. He declined to identify the
errant officials.
The most serious violation was committed by five officials,
who worked as staffers and senior officials in the City Council
Secretariat. Sudirman said that all of them had accepted two
travel allowances, one from the city administration and one from
the partly city-owned company PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol (PJA).
"One of them will be denied his annual promotion, another two
will not receive their annual salary increments, while the
remaining two will be issued with letters of censure from the
governor," explained Sudirman.
He said that each of the officials had received about Rp 50
million taken from the 2000 city budget, on top of the allowances
provided by PJA.
The city funds, totaling Rp 205 million, have been returned to
the City Petty Cash Office, said Sudirman.
"These sanctions are considered 'medium to light', but it will
affect their career appraisals in the future," said Sudirman.
Meanwhile, the other four city officials would each receive a
verbal warning.
According to the findings of the investigation, some of the
officials had also extended their trips to other destinations
which were not included in the official itinerary.
Citing an example, Sudirman said those who participated in the
trip to Tokyo continued on to Seoul and Hong Kong.
"It proves that they have violated the schedule and budget set
for their assignments," said Sudirman.
The trips drew controversy due to allegations that PJA paid Rp
2.1 billion to fund the so-called comparative studies for a group
of 45 people comprising councillors and city officials between
Oct. 9 and Oct. 15. The trips were to three different
destinations -- Cape Town and Johannesburg, Sydney, and Tokyo.
Governor Sutiyoso has confirmed that the fund was disbursed
without his approval as the chief commissioner of the company.
Sudirman said that the investigators found two city officials
innocent of any wrongdoing as their participation in the trips
had been approved by the governor, even though they admitted to
having received an allowance from PAJ.
Speculation had been rife prior to Wednesday's announcement
that the city administration would sacrifice lower ranking
officials as scapegoats in the scam.
However, Sutiyoso defended his administration on Wednesday,
saying that he had taken fair measures against those found guilty
in the Ancol scam.
"I'm not afraid to punish them since they are all my staff,"
Sutiyoso told journalists after presenting awards to the winners
of a small business competition at City Hall.
He claimed that he had asked the city's disciplinary council
to review the results of the investigation before definitively
imposing the administrative sanctions.
Among the top city officials interrogated were Jakarta
Development Agency chief Bambang Sungkono, the City Land Agency
chief Ahmaddin Ahmad and his deputy Nurfakih.
The Jakarta Prosecutor Office's has questioned 14 councillors
who participated in the trips in connection with the scandal.
The city administration punished 24 officials in March of last
year after they were found guilty of misusing city advertising
funds.
The sanctions included dismissal, demotion and administrative
sanctions. (04/07)