Police deny allegations they put markups on Aceh projects
Police deny allegations they put markups on Aceh projects
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The police denied on Friday charges leveled by a joint monitory
team that they embezzled billions of rupiah from material
procurement and construction projects in Aceh while the province
was under martial law.
"We found no markups in the projects. We have submitted the
results of our investigation to the Coordinating Ministry for
Political and Security Affairs and the KPK," National Police
chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said in reply to questions on Friday.
He said it was now up to the Corruption Eradication Commission
(KPK) to determine whether markups did occur in the projects.
The joint monitoring team, known by its Indonesian acronym
TMP, is investigating how Rp 10 trillion (US$10 million) in
government funds was spent during one year of martial law in
Aceh. The martial law was downgraded in May to a state of civil
emergency.
The funds were channeled through various parties, including
the police (Rp 508.8 billion), the military (Rp 1.9 trillion) and
the education and transportation agencies.
Da'i said his office carried out a preliminary investigation
after being notified by the monitoring team last month of the
alleged markups.
He said a team chaired by former finance minister Mar'ie
Muhammad found differences between the prices of materials stated
in the budget and the actual prices of the materials bought.
However, after checking the quality of the materials the team
decided the prices were appropriate.
Following the end of martial law in May, the province was led
by a civil emergency administration under Governor Abdullah
Puteh.
Since then the province has been dogged by corruption
allegations involving both local government and legislative
members. Puteh was named a suspect by the KPK last month over a
suspected markup in the Rp 4 billion purchase of a helicopter,
and is being investigated by the police over a Rp 30 billion
generator purchase.
A number of councillors from the regency and provincial levels
have also been named suspects by the police or local prosecutors
over the misuse of state funds.
KPK chairman Taufiequrrachman Ruki said on Tuesday a total of
Rp 2.7 trillion had been embezzled from 68 projects run by
various government agencies. The monitoring team was formed by
the martial law administrator.
KPK member Erry Riyana Harjapamekas said the KPK was now
investigating the cases.
"We are yet to determine the state losses in the projects of
each individual agency. We have not yet found any indications of
markups in police projects. They have submitted the results of
their internal investigation and we are now studying the report,"
Erry told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
Security has improved in Aceh but little has been done to
resettle refugees, try human rights abusers or improve the
people's welfare. Analysts have blamed rampant corruption as the
reason for these failures.