Police plan to review cooperation with Tutut

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police will review its cooperation agreement with a company belonging to Siti "Tutut" Hardijanti Rukmana whose dealings it claims are riddled with corruption and nepotism.

The police signed the five-year accord in 1992 with PT Citra Permata Persada (PT CPP), which is owned by the eldest daughter of former president Soeharto, to administer applications for driver's licenses.

National Police Commander Gen. Dibyo Widodo said Thursday the review was prompted by reports that the administrative fee for a license was excessively high and the company had raked in huge profits.

A reliable police source said the company's official administrative fee was set at Rp 52,500 (US$5.20) for each driver's license but only Rp 4,500 went to the state coffers.

"But, as you know, in practice the fee is much higher."

According to the source, there has never been a transparent breakdown of the fee and the accord is still effective although it expired a year ago.

"We will thoroughly review the cooperation as part of the burning spirit to wipe out nepotism, collusion and corruption within the police force," Dibyo said.

The National Police signed the contract with PT CPP as part of its efforts to improve public services. Under the agreement, the company was to help the police provide better equipment and service in processing driver's licenses.

But the promised facilities have never been supplied, the source said.

"All of the equipment was acquired by the police. They never spent a penny. This is crazy. Therefore we call for an open review and investigation into the matter."

The source noted that Jakarta Police Headquarters issues between 2,500 and 3,000 driver's licenses every day.

"The police only get between Rp 11 million and Rp 14 million. The rest of the money goes into PT CPP's accounts in Bank International Indonesia (BII), which was appointed as the fee receiver," he said.

BII is a subsidiary of the widely diversified Sinar Mas Group, owned by tycoon Eka Tjipta Widjaja.

"We suspect there is collusion between PT CPP and Sinar Mas Group because a relative of Eka Tjipta, Jimmy, is the managing director of PT CPP," the source said.

When contacted by reporters, Sinar Mas Group spokeswoman Joyce A., said Wednesday that she was unaware of the situation.

"All I know is that BII has been assigned to keep the money from driver's license fees. But I have no idea where the money goes to.

"I only know that Pak Jimmy is a friend of Mbak Tutut. But I really don't know more than that." (edt)