Sutiyoso urges reform team to speed up

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso said on Monday the city administration's reform team was slow to investigate the 1,941 malfeasance cases uncovered since the 1994/1995 fiscal year because team members were busy with their everyday jobs.

Sutiyoso said officials on the reform team, which was established by the governor in June 1998 to rid the administration of corruption, collusion and nepotism, could not concentrate fully on investigating the malfeasance cases.

"I think all of you know the people in charge of the reform team are officials in key positions, so they need a long time to process the cases."

However, the governor vowed to continue encouraging the team to speed up the investigations. "I promise that anybody who is found guilty will be punished."

Data from the administration exposed 1,941 malfeasance cases (not 1,942 as was reported on this page on Monday) in the administration between 1994 and December 1998.

From this figure, 348 cases dealt with misuse of power, 184 with corruption, 185 with land and housing affairs, 299 with the environment, 480 with public services, 21 with bureaucracy, 140 with law affairs, 177 with personnel affairs and 107 with national vigilance.

Only 486 cases, or 25 percent of the total cases, have been investigated. The reform team, which was set up under a gubernatorial decree to meet the public's demand for a purge of the bureaucracy, greater transparency and improved public services, did not publish its findings in the 486 cases.

The team is led by Deputy Governor for Administrative Affairs Abdul Kahfi. Its work focuses on four major issues -- public services, the budget, expenditure, and law and organization.

The team has been criticized for its lack of achievement because it has never announced the findings of its investigations or taken steps toward bringing corrupt officials to account for their offenses.

City councilors said on Sunday the small percentage of cases investigated showed the administration was halfheartedly pursuing the cases.

Saud Rahman, a member of the United Development Party's (PPP) faction in the council, said on Monday because of the lack of progress, the composition of the reform team should be changed, or "just dissolve the team if its members can't do their jobs".

"If the governor says that the team members are too busy, why did the administration refuse our past proposals to establish a similar team comprising representatives of the PPP faction in the council?" (ind)