Relief aid embezzlement to be probed
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The House of Representatives disciplinary body is expected to soon begin an investigation into graft allegations surrounding disaster aid involving legislators and top regional officials, following the publication of two documents that detailed the "sale" of aid budgets last week.
House Speaker Agung Laksono said the House leadership had officially written to its disciplinary body to request an investigation into the claims, along with copies of the two documents and newspaper reports of the matter.
"We urge the disciplinary body to make progress on this issue before the House goes into recess at the end of this month," Agung said on Monday.
The disciplinary body can only look into issues involving House members after it receives an official report from the House leadership or an official complaint from a member of the public.
The body, which consists of representatives from all 10 House factions, has limited powers to discipline members and is not required to pass on criminal allegations to police. It may issue either a written reprimand to legislators, remove members from chairmanship positions in House commissions, or dismiss them from the House.
To investigate legislators, the police need the go-ahead from the President unless the allegations involve corruption or terrorism.
At least two documents were published last week, detailing information about the alleged "sales" of 2005 aid budgets by legislators to the heads of regional administrations.
The documents allege that legislators, particularly certain members of the House budgetary committee, are offering billions of rupiah in extra relief funds to regents or mayors in disaster- struck areas in return for a hefty fee taken from the funds.
House budgetary committee chairman Emir Moeis has denied the allegations, saying that the documents were anonymous and lacked evidence to back them up.
However, Emir admitted on Monday that it was certainly possible legislators could collude with local regional heads to embezzle relief funds.
"But I've never heard of ... such a thing. Thus, we plan to delay our deliberations on relief funds until the government re- checks the amount of the funds," Emir said.
Regents and mayors submitted proposals for disaster relief budgets to the government through the National Coordinating Agency (Bakornas) and the Ministry of Finance, which later deliberated the decisions with the House committee.
Emir said it was common and reasonable for House members to fight for the highest possible amounts of aid for their areas.
"If I see damaged places or infrastructure in my area of origin, it's only natural and it's not wrong if I want the place to receive the most funds," he said.
The documents accuse several House members of "coordinating" funds for provinces, regencies and cities in their areas.
The documents also lists several people involved in the alleged graft that are not House members. "That's why I said the documents are false," Emir said.