Stern measures to be taken against officials
Stern measures to be taken against officials
JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso vowed on Friday to impose
stern measures against officials proven to have received Rp 4
billion (US$425,500) from the Ancol leisure complex developer,
and then used to finance overseas trips for six councillors and
11 city officials.
"If the investigation proves these officials are guilty, I
will not keep them anymore (as city officials)," Sutiyoso said.
"Once I know who is guilty there will be action taken against
them."
The governor said he would urge the city inspectorate to
proceed with an investigation into the case, and guaranteed that
he would not leave the case unsolved.
PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol, the developer of Ancol, reportedly
financed the overseas trips of six councillors from Commission D
on development affairs last month, although the city budget had
already allocated some Rp 13 billion for such official trips made
by the councillors.
The case has made newspaper headlines in the past few weeks,
forcing both Governor Sutiyoso and City Council Speaker Edy
Waluyo to summon PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol's board of directors
for clarification of the situation.
The Jakarta Prosecutor's Office has established a team to
investigate the case, while the city inspectorate has audited the
company's accounts. The investigation is due to be completed in
the next 30 days.
The company had reportedly admitted earlier to having financed
the overseas trips of 45 people, including 14 councillors, to
Australia, Japan and South Africa to study city waterfront
projects. The company is considering the construction of a
similar project in the Ancol area of North Jakarta within the
next five to 10 years.
However, the company's president director, Rushadi, said later
that the expenditure was only $240,000 and the cost would be
shared with PT Pelindo II, which manages the Tanjung Priok Port
in North Jakarta.
PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol is part of the PT Pembangunan Jaya
group, with more than 80 percent of the latter company's shares
owned by the city administration. Business tycoon Ciputra owns
the rest of the company's shares.
Sutiyoso is the chief commissioner of PT Pembangunan Jaya.
Besides six councillors, the City Development Planning Board
chief, Bambang Sungkono, is also allegedly involved in the case
apparently having joined the trip and received some $10,000 from
PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol.
"As soon as the investigation is completed, we will decide
what to do for those involved.
"If any of my officials were involved, I guarantee that there
will be some stern action taken against them," the governor said.
(dja)