Prove it, fire me: Sutiyoso

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso denied on Thursday allegations that he bribed city councillors Rp 16 billion (US$1.95 million) to ensure his governorship until 2002.

"If they can prove it, just fire me," he said on the sidelines of a ceremony to mark a cooperation agreement signed between sister cities Jakarta and Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Sutiyoso added, "Money politics (bribes) is an insult to the City concillors (and) would just ruin my reputation."

The accusation was voiced by some 50 protesters at the City Council on Tuesday. They claimed to be friends and relatives of victims of the violent takeover of the headquarters of the Indonesian Democratic Party on July 27, 1996.

The protesters, who believe that Sutiyoso, then the Jakarta Military commander, was involved, say councillors should not let the governor serve a second term.

The council is evaluating Sutiyoso's revised accountability speech, which was rejected by 68 of 84 councillors on July 20, on grounds of failure to respond on the issue of spending irregularities, among other things. The governor was given 30 days to revise his speech.

On Tuesday, protesters grouped in the Communication Forum for Relatives of the 124 victims of the July 27, 1996, incident urged councilors to "refrain from being the shadow of Governor Sutiyoso."

The governor has been summoned as a witness by the city police as part of their investigation into the incident.

The protesters claim that 124 people died in the incident. Official figures have it that five were killed and 23 are missing.

One of the councilors allegedly to have received bribes also said the allegations were slander. (07)