Sutiyoso puts auditors at ease on controversial asset issue

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City Governor Sutiyoso on Monday was questioned by an investigating team of the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) over his wealth report and some controversial assets brought to their attention by the public.

However, chairman of the KPKPN team, Thoha Rasidi, said after the questioning that Sutiyoso managed to clarify all questions regarding the issue, and added that he was very happy with the way Sutiyoso responded his team.

"Sutiyoso responded to our questions clearly. I'm satisfied with that," Thoha told the press after the meeting at the KPKPN office in Central Jakarta on Monday.

KPKPN Deputy Chairman for Executive Affairs Muchayat previously said that they had received some reports from the public about Sutiyoso's controversial assets, including one hectare in Cisarua subdistrict, Bogor and some Rp 1.6 billion allegedly used for compensation to victims of the July 27, 1996 incident.

Sutiyoso did not include the one hectare of land in Cisarua in his wealth report to the KPKPN because he apparently does not have a clear ownership document for the land. Later, it was revealed that it is state land. He had villa there, but demolished it in a public display late last year.

Sutiyoso, who was the Jakarta Military chief in 1996, has been implicated in the July 27 incident, in which a group of military soldiers and their proxies attacked supporters of PDI Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri at their headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

Thoha said that, despite having received it over a year ago, the team still needed to check out Sutiyoso's explanations by taking a look at all the properties mentioned by the governor.

In his wealth report to the KPKPN on Aug. 9, 2001, Sutiyoso stated that his total assets were Rp 10.09 billion in addition to US$215,126 in cash (approximately Rp 2 billion).

However, another KPKPN official, who asked not to be identified, alleged that the governor had underreported his wealth.

Another controversial property is a 15-hectare plot of land in Ciampea, Bogor, which was reported by Sutiyoso as a farming, forestry, fishery and mining area. But he admitted on Monday that there was a villa on it.

"We will check all of Sutiyoso's explanations with the reality in the field," Thoha said.

Meanwhile, Sutiyoso admitted that there were a number of mistakes on his wealth report, but blamed it on his inability to understand the complicated form prepared by the commission.

Responding to question on the compensation funds for victims of the July, 27 1996 incident, Sutiyoso denied that he had a role in it.

KPKPN Deputy Chairman for Executive Affairs Muchayat said although the base salary of Governor Sutiyoso was officially Rp 3 million per month, his real monthly income reached beyond Rp 200 million (about US$ 23,000 per month).

"The Rp 200 million is an official income for the governor per month," Muchayat told the press on Monday, adding that the income came from a number of allowances, a percentage of taxes and other "fees" drawn from the public.