Officials failing to submit wealth reports warned

Officials failing to submit wealth reports warned

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri gave the nod on Tuesday to a
proposal tabled by the chief of the Public Servants' Wealth Audit
Commission (KPKPN) to dismiss government officials and
legislators who still refuse to submit a wealth report.

According to commission head Yusuf Syakir, only 1,348 of a
total of about 14,000 legislators nationwide have declared their
wealth so far.

In the executive branch of government, only 41 percent of
25,000 forms have been returned, including those from the
military and the police.

The fact that the commission lacks the authority to force
government officials to report their wealth has prompted Yusuf to
propose that the President punish those who have not done so. The
report is required by law to be submitted by legislators and
civil servants. Upon assuming a post, every government official
takes an oath to uphold the law in their daily conduct.

In failing to do so, government officials are subject to
dismissal according to Government Regulation No. 30/1989, Article
6.

"My suggestion is to dismiss those who have failed to report
their wealth as they have violated their pledge to always uphold
the law," Yusuf said.

"The President agrees (with the proposal)," Yusuf told
reporters after verifying the wealth of Megawati and her husband
Taufik Kiemas at the official presidential residence in Central
Jakarta.

The Commission has also suggested that the President impose
Article 216 of the Criminal Code, which would enable sanctions to
be applied to those who have defied the orders of their
superiors. Violators could be put in detention for a maximum of
four months.

The commission, established in 1999 as a means of combating
corruption, has sent letters to the superiors of those who failed
to submit their reports, to instruct their subordinates to
immediately declare their wealth.

Representatives of the commission will soon meet with members
of the House regarding this matter.

In their verification of the President's and her husband's
wealth, the Commission did not find any discrepancy with the
report submitted by Megawati on March 22, when she was still Vice
President.

Megawati and Taufik's wealth amounted to Rp 59.8 billion.

Regarding the Volkswagen Beetle car and one gas station, which
were not included in their wealth report, Taufik told the
Commission they were not part of the couple's assets.

The Beetle, often driven by Megawati, belongs to their
daughter Puan Maharani, commission member Muchayat, quoting
Taufik, told reporters.

From the eight gas stations owned by the family, one was given
to their granddaughter Diah Pingkan -- daughter of Puan Maharani
-- immediately after she was born.

Megawati and Taufik are still required to complete the
documentation of their wealth, such as land certificates, and to
certify as an inheritance the art collection given to the family
by the late President Sukarno.