Sutiyoso clarifies City Hall graft
JAKARTA (JP): After stating that corruption was commonplace in the country, Governor Sutiyoso said on Thursday that the Ministry of Home Affairs had made a mistake by revealing that corruption was rampant in Jakarta.
"After rechecking, we found that not all of (the ministry's) statement is true. What it (the ministry) categorized as corruption is just debts," he told reporters at a media conference on corruption at City Hall.
Sutiyoso said he had not been able to sleep since the reports emerged.
"That's why we should clarify things to salvage the city's image. I don't want people to think that the administration divested people's money while they are facing difficulties even just to buy food," he said.
On Wednesday, Sutiyoso responded casually to the ministry's announcement that Jakarta ranked first among corrupt cities, with nationwide losses of Rp 2.6 trillion, by claiming the news was unsurprising.
The ministry's inspectorate general disclosed on Tuesday that total losses from corruption in the city amounted to Rp 115 billion.
During a media conference on Wednesday, secretary of the city's inspectorate office Syarifudin Mahfud (not acting head as reported earlier) said that of 15 city agencies and offices inspected by the ministry's inspectorate general since last year, the biggest cases -- totaling some Rp 110 billion -- occurred at the city planning agency.
He said some Rp 58 billion was in the form of state losses and Rp 57 billion was debts owed to the government by 12 construction companies in arrears with land usage levies.
Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi announced on Thursday that after rechecking it was found that graft of the magnitude stated by the ministry was not apparent in the city.
"When the ministry inspected the administration in September last year, there were agencies and offices which still had debts owing. They have since paid their debts but it has not been recorded by the ministry," he said.
City planning agency head Ahmadin Ahmad said on Thursday that so far the agency had only been able to collect Rp 10 billion of the companies' debts.
The 12 companies are: PT Tunggal Alam Raya with a debt of Rp 2.3 billion; PT Pelangi Hardawana (Rp 5.3 billion); PT Adhi Karya (Rp 4.7 billion); PT Srikaya (Rp 6.1 billion); PT Jakarta Country Club (Rp 15.3 billion); PT Cipta Cakra Murdaya (Rp 898 million); Ronny N. (Rp 458 million); LPK Tarakanita (Rp 4.5 billion); PT Bumi Perkasa Propertindo (Rp 779 million); PT Alvita Sunta (Rp 4.8 billion) PT Alvita Sunta (Rp 3 billion); and the Air Force cooperative (Rp 3.7 billion).(ind)