Probe on JITF bribery continues

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.