Officials ordered to return markup money

TANGERANG: Tangerang municipal administration secretary Wahidin Halim said on Friday he had ordered the Margasari subdistrict chief and the Karawaci district chief to return the money they allegedly obtained by marking up a land purchase.

The order was issued in response to complaints filed by the subdistrict residents during a rally at the municipal council office on Monday.

The municipal administration released Rp 350 million at the request of the district and subdistrict to purchase a 400 square meter plot of land with a building on it, which is eventually to be used as the new subdistrict office.

Karawaci district chief Diding Iskandar said the total amount spent to purchase the land and building was Rp 297 million, including Rp 17 million for the notary public documents.

Diding said the remaining Rp 53 million must be returned because the money belonged to the municipal administration.

The subdistrict chief, M. Najib, however, has already distributed some of that money to his staff members.

"I received Rp 750,000 and I spent it to buy a cellular phone. How can I return it?" he said.

Tony Wismantoro of the Tangerang Government Watch said ordering the two officials to return the money was not sufficient, and that charges should be filed against them for corruption. --JP