Probe of budget sales stepped up

Probe of budget sales stepped up

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives disciplinary committee has sent nine
members to various regions to investigate alleged corruption in
the disbursement of disaster relief funds.

Committee chairman Slamet Effendi Yusuf said on Saturday that
the nine lawmakers would hold talk with local administration
officials to verify the graft allegations.

"We will start the visits to the regions today," he said.

He declined to disclose the names of the legislators nor the
regions they were visiting.

The House has come under fire over allegations that some of
its members, particularly those on the budget committee, were
involved in the "sale" of relief funds earmarked for disaster-hit
regions.

According to documents detailing the alleged wrongdoing,
certain lawmakers, in some cases working in cahoots with
middlemen, offered local administrations a bigger share of relief
funds, or to speed up the disbursement process in return for a
bribe.

The central government allocates the relief funds to the
regions after a closed-door consultation process with the House
budget commission.

The House disciplinary committee has summoned seven lawmakers
for questioning in connection with the case, which has further
tarnished the already poor image of the House.

The high profile case has also prompted the powerful
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to launch an
investigation. Experts say that such malfeasance has long been
the norm in the House, but has never been clearly exposed to the
public.

Slamet said that he welcome the involvement of the KPK in the
investigation of the case. The KPK, which is tasked with handling
the investigation of major graft cases, has gained public respect
following its success in handling of a graft case involving the
influential suspended governor of oil and gas-rich Aceh province,
and the uncovering of massive corruption at the General Elections
Commission (KPU).