Probe on JITF bribery continues
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Councillor Ugiek Soegihardjo return to work on Friday with a pledge to continue his investigation into alleged irregularities at city-joint venture firm PT Jakarta International Trade Fair (JITF).
Ugiek of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) admitted that the party's city chapter chairman Tarmidi Suhardjo asked him to take a break after he revealed that he was offered a bribe of Rp 20 million (US$2,000) by the company.
"But I was not pressured. Tarmidi asked me to take a break since I once had a liver complaint," he told reporters.
He said that during his time off, he continued his investigation and collected data about JITF run by businessman Edward Surjadjaja.
He urged the administration to cut cooperation with private parties in JITF.
"The cooperation only caused losses to the city," said Ugiek, who is also a member of the council's special committee which is investigating alleged irregularities in the company.
Last month, Ugiek said the company offered him a bribe of Rp 20 million, in exchange for halting the investigation. Other committee members, especially from PDI Perjuangan, allegedly received a similar amount of money.
Since Ugiek publicly revealed that he had been bribed, the councillor has often been absent from the council's sessions. A senior councillor of PDI Perjuangan revealed that Ugiek was pressured to stay low by Tarmidi and the party's faction chairman Agung Imam Sumanto. Both Tarmidi and Agung have denied it.
The councillor was reportedly sick.
Several reporters visited Ugiek's house on Jl. Jend. Sutoyo in the Cililitan area, East Jakarta earlier on Friday but were unable to meet him.
His neighbors said Ugiek drove his official car out of the house every morning and returned in the evening. "He looks healthy," a neighbor said.
Edward had reported the councillor to the city police for alleged defamation.
However, Ugiek challenged the police to probe the alleged bribery.
"I am still in possession of the money," he said.