Tallo sworn in as governor despite charges of corruption
Tallo sworn in as governor despite charges of corruption
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno swore in East Nusa Tenggara
Governor Piet A. Tallo here on Wednesday to assume office for
another five-year term, despite corruption charges leveled
against the governor.
The inauguration ceremony, which took place at 2 p.m. local
time in the provincial capital Kupang, was endorsed by President
Megawati Soekarnoputri through Decree No. 111/M/2003 dated July
14.
Present were some 1,000 guests, including East Nusa Tenggara
administration officials, councillors, community and religious
figures. No protests marred the event.
Tallo was scheduled to be sworn in on July 15. There were
hints that the inauguration could be delayed indefinitely,
pending the result of the police investigation into his graft
charges.
Police identified Tallo as a suspect in a Rp 3.83 billion
graft case based on material evidence and several witnesses'
statements.
Now the police are awaiting presidential permission to
question the governor over a questionable deal involving the
procurement of Rp 15 billion (US$1.8 million) worth of hospital
equipment in 2002.
The deal, called the Sarkes project, caused Rp 3.83 billion in
state losses.
Police began investigating the matter last year, but Tallo was
linked to the case only after the council reelected him for a
second term in June.
Wednesday's inauguration of Tallo stirred controversy as the
home minister had earlier refused to swear in the elected
governor of Lampung province, Alzier Dianis Thabranie, who has
been named a suspect in a 1993 corruption case.
Hari had said Alzier's installation would be postponed until
the case was resolved, and signaled that a revote would have to
be held to elect a new governor if he was found guilty.
Alzier defeated Oemarsono, the then incumbent Lampung
governor, whose reelection bid was supported by President
Megawati.
However, Hari said on Wednesday that despite the graft charges
against Tallo, his swearing-in ceremony had to go ahead, arguing
that it had nothing to do with the police investigation.
Tallo, paired with Frans Lebu Raya, was elected
"democratically and transparently" as governor on June 19 for the
2003-2008 term, he said.
"That's why the President issued a decree to endorse the
results of the East Nusa Tenggara gubernatorial election," Hari
said.
The minister claimed that Tallo's case differed from the
Lampung case because Alzier had been implicated in the graft case
before he was elected governor.
Hari said the police could go ahead with the probe into Tallo
after they obtained permission from Megawati.
Tallo and Frans, backed by Megawati's Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), won the election by one vote
over B. Laiskodat and Simon Hayon, who were nominated by the
coalition faction in the East Nusa Tenggara legislative council.
Megawati has been accused of practicing authoritarianism as
her party has moved to replace councillors ignoring her
instructions to vote for her candidates for governors, mayors or
regents.
At least 20 councillors from PDI Perjuangan across the country
are likely to become victims of Megawati's authoritarianism, as
they are to be replaced or expelled from the party.