Statue project reported to police for alleged markup
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Non-governmental organization (NGO) Jakarta Development Watch (Jadewa) on Tuesday reported the head of the Jakarta City Park Agency, Mauritz Napitupulu, to the police for allegedly marking up the budget for the construction of a statue in Central Jakarta.
Jadewa's executive director Santoso AS said that based on his NGO's estimation, the construction of the statue of the Indonesian Military's first Commander Gen. Soedirman, should only have been Rp 1.79 billion (US$210,588), much lower than the estimate of Rp 3.5 billion provided by the Jakarta administration.
"We've found several indications of a markup, involving possible collusion and corruption in the agency headed by Mauritz," Santoso said at the Jakarta Police Headquarters.
Santoso said that the Soedirman Foundation, owned by the family of Gen. Soedirman, set up PT Patria Mega Komunika to construct the statue. Patria Mega Komunika paid Rp 6.5 billion to the Jakarta Revenue Agency for outdoor advertising space, Rp 3.5 billion less than the official rate. The agency told the company to use the difference to construct the statue.
"With the advertisement space measuring 10 meters in width and 20 meters in length, anyone who is willing to rent the space for a five-year term must pay at least Rp 10 billion. But, the company only paid Rp 6.5 billion," Santoso explained.
Jadewa also blasted the developers for felling eight trees to make space for the construction of the statue and for the costly establishment of 12 spotlights and 17 street lamps to illuminate the site.
The 6.5-meter high statue, which stands on the median strip of Jl. Jend. Sudirman in Central Jakarta, was inaugurated by Governor Sutiyoso on Aug. 16.
The 4.5-ton statue standing on a 4.5-meter-high pedestal, was made by Sunaryo, a sculptor from the Bandung Institute of Technology.
Responding to the report, Mauritz said that he had yet to hear that he had been reported to the police.
"I have not received the information yet... But, I don't feel that I have violated any laws," he told The Jakarta Post by phone.
He added that, "there is no need for me to respond to such silly conclusions."
He further denied that there had been any markup in the project.
"How could Jadewa estimate the value of an artistic work like the statue of Soedirman? The value of the statue is determined by the sculptor, not by other parties," said Mauritz.
The statue of Gen. Soedirman was constructed at the request of his descendants. Soedirman was born in 1912 in Bodas Karang Jati village, Rembang regency, Central Java. He was a commander during the fight for independence, and was appointed chief of the Indonesian Military on Nov. 12, 1945.