No problem as a witness in Ancolgate: Sutiyoso

No problem as a witness in Ancolgate: Sutiyoso

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Governor Sutiyoso expressed his willingness on Monday to
answer the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office summons related to a
controversial foreign trip conducted by several city officials
and councillors, dubbed "Ancolgate".

"I have yet to receive the summons but I'm looking forward to
it. I have no problem at all with being questioned as a witness
in this case," he told reporters at City Hall.

Sutiyoso claimed he had disagreed with the disposition letter
connected with the October 2000 trip as the country was still in
the midst of an economic crisis.

Several city officials and 15 councillors joined the
"comparative study" to Japan, South Korea and Australia, which
was fully financed by the city budget and the city-owned PT
Pembangunan Jaya Ancol. Each of them received Rp 54 million
(US$5,400) from the budget and US$5,000 from the company.

So far, the prosecutors office has only named three
councillors -- Tarmidi Suhardjo and Tarmidi Edi Suwarno of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Ali
Imron Hussein of the United Development Party -- as suspects as
they accepted the allowance without joining the trip.

They reportedly returned the allowance after the press
reported the case early last year.

Ali, who used to be friendly to reporters, had claimed that he
did not join the trip due to health reasons. On Monday, he began
to avoid the press and refused to comment when questioned. He
also was seen repeatedly moping perspiration from his brow.

The City Council had earlier criticized Sutiyoso for only
punishing some low-ranking officials but failing to reprimand the
high-ranking officials involved in the Ancol scandal.

During his tenure, only Sutardjianto, formerly the city
inspector, was replaced and taken to the West Jakarta District
Court for corruption charges in 1999. He was declared guilty and
sentenced to eight months probation.