W. Java council undecided over gift

W. Java council undecided over gift

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

The West Java provincial legislature is deadlocked over the
return of Rp 25 billion taken from the province's 2002 budget as
two legislators from the local chapter of the Justice Party have
declined to return their share of the cash.

Provincial legislative council chairman Eka Santosa said on
Monday that the two legislators who first revealed the money had
been disbursed were refusing to return the money which they
claimed had been given to the needy.

"The legislature won't return the money in full because the
two legislators declined to return their own part of the funds,"
he said after a plenary session to discuss the return of the
money.

The legislature has been under fire since details emerged of
the secret cash payouts as "gifts" to legislators. During a
plenary session two weeks ago the legislature decided that all
members who received Rp 250 million would return the money to
avoid an investigation.

The scandal has sparked protests and criticisms from numerous
quarters after Governor Nuriana confirmed that the funds were
given at the request of the legislature.

Yudhi Yudhiana, one of the two legislators from the Justice
Party refusing to return the money, said they would provide
details of the funds' use to the provincial administration.

"We accepted the money to show our solidarity with the
legislature but we did not use it on ourselves so there is no
obligation for us to return the money," he said.

The scandal first emerged when the two legislators began
disbursing basic commodities to the needy in the province.

United Development Party (PPP) faction chairman Kurdi Moekri
slammed the two legislators for ensnaring their colleagues in a
trap that could jeopardize their political careers.

"It is quite strange since the two revealed the use of the
money to the press for the first time but later rejected
returning the funds," he said.

Several legislators used the money to buy housing plots, new
cars and business investments.