Official apologizes over fake ring row

Official apologizes over fake ring row

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives Secretary-General Afif
Ma'roef apologized to former legislators yesterday for the fake
rings given to them as farewell gifts.

Afif admitted his staff had failed to thoroughly examine the
quality of the rings presented to the 500 House legislators whose
term ended on Sept. 30.

"We confess we were negligent in not checking the rings first,
but it was simply because we ran out of time. We did not intend
to disappoint the honorable legislators," Afif said after a House
leadership meeting yesterday.

He said that in the leadership meeting House Speaker Harmoko
had demanded that those guilty of embarrassing the legislative
body be punished.

While considering taking legal action against those
responsible, the House has asked recipients to return their rings
for replacement no later than Oct. 30.

As of yesterday, 194 rings had been returned.

Legislators who concluded their five-year term last month were
given farewell rings.

The rings were supposed to be of 22-carat gold and weigh 10
grams.

But several former House legislators disclosed earlier this
month that they had been given gold-plated rings of varying
weight.

Afif said a team he had set up to investigate the problem had
found that the rings varied in weight and gold content, and that
they were poorly made.

He said the House secretariat had put the farewell ring supply
up for tender, which was won by private company PT Hutari Unggul
Lestari.

The House secretariat agreed to pay the company Rp 368,064
(US$105) a ring, well below the government-set ceiling price of
Rp 395,000 ($112) a ring.

The government has so far paid only 90 percent of the agreed
price.

The company, however, allegedly subcontracted the deal to
another company without informing Afif.

"The company has confessed, and promised to replace the rings
in accordance with the specifications determined in the original
contract," Afif said.

He refused to comment on whether the House was likely to sue
the company.

Deputy House Speaker Abdul Gafur, who also attended the
conference, said the House had yet to consider taking legal
action against the firm.

"Let's maintain the principle of presumption of innocence," he
said.

Gafur said the meeting, presided over by Harmoko, also agreed
to improve cooperation with foreign parliaments, enhance teamwork
among House bodies and improve communication with the press.

"We plan to organize regular press conferences prior to
recesses, and to invite chief editors to a meeting," Gafur said.

The House has postponed a meeting with the Supreme Audit
Agency from Oct. 30 until Nov. 5.

The agency is expected to reveal its report for the last
semester at the meeting. (amd)