W. Java councillors named suspects
<p>W. Java councillors named suspects</p><p>Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung</p><p> Prosecutors named three West Java deputy council speakers as
suspects in a graft case related to last year's controversy over
a Rp 25 billion (US$2.9 million) gift to all 100 councillors.</p><p>The announcement came on Wednesday, a day before the council
was to elect the West Java governor, prompting suspicions that it
was an attempt to influence the election's outcome.</p><p>Head of the West Java prosecutors' office Sudhono Iswahyudi
announced the suspects: Kurdi Moekri of the United Development
Party (PPP) faction; Suyaman of the Golkar faction; and Suparno,
now retired, of the Police and the Indonesian Military faction.</p><p>Sudhono said their names were gleaned from the accounts of 11
witnesses from the council and the West Java administration.</p><p>"The three took the initiative and signed the requisition
letter for the Rp 25 billion, which was to be disbursed to all
the councillors," he said.</p><p>The cash payment was reportedly a "gift" from the West Java
administration. Each of the 100 councillors received Rp 250
million, which was to be paid over three fiscal years from 2001
to 2003.</p><p>The Rp 25 billion was to compensate for a 500-meter-square
plot of land that councillors were traditionally entitled to
receive.</p><p>But Sudhono said the supposed gift violated Article 3 of the
1999 Anticorruption Law, which bans people from misusing their
positions or authority to enrich themselves at the expense of
state funds. Violators of this article may face a life sentence
and a penalty of up to Rp 1 billion.</p><p>He further explained that the cash payment also breached
numerous regulations on the disbursement of state funds.</p><p>Deputy council speaker Kurdi, one of the three suspects, said
the cash disbursement followed the proper procedures, and that
the disbursement had already passed an internal audit by the
inspector general's office. Moreover, he said, the council had
won last February a lawsuit filed against them by a number of
non-governmental organization who demanded the money be returned.
"So why call us suspects all of a sudden?"</p><p>Kurdi claims the graft case smacked of a political ploy to
influence the upcoming gubernatorial election.</p><p>One of the candidates is provincial secretary Danny Setiawan,
who signed the approval letter for the councillors' gift and
could later be implicated in the case.</p><p>Danny was nominated by the Golkar and the PPP factions, while
his rival was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction.</p><p>Two of the suspects come from the first two factions, while
the third is from the Military and Police faction.</p><p>Kurdi has raised a question as to why council chairman Eka
Santoso of the PDI Perjuangan faction, who also received the cash
gift, was not named a suspect as well.</p><p>PDI Perjuangan is the only major faction contending the
gubernatorial election not implicated in the graft case.</p><p>The cash contribution stirred controversy in West Java, and a
consortium of non-governmental organizations in Bandung and West
Java lambasted the gift and declared it a proof of collusion
between the provincial administration and the council.</p><p>The so-called gift drew public attention after a number of
councillors tried, but failed, to return the money. They later
donated Rp 250 million each in staple foods for the poor.</p><p>Their peers, however, criticized the donation, saying it drew
unnecessary attention to those who kept their share of the gift,
while they tried to justify the gift at the same time.</p><p>One councillor described the cash contribution as a token of
appreciation from the government, because councillors do not
receive any pension funds.</p><p>Previous councillors have reportedly received a plot of land,
complete with a house, from the West Java administration. Now,
instead of property, the councillors receive cash.</p>
suspects in a graft case related to last year's controversy over
a Rp 25 billion (US$2.9 million) gift to all 100 councillors.</p><p>The announcement came on Wednesday, a day before the council
was to elect the West Java governor, prompting suspicions that it
was an attempt to influence the election's outcome.</p><p>Head of the West Java prosecutors' office Sudhono Iswahyudi
announced the suspects: Kurdi Moekri of the United Development
Party (PPP) faction; Suyaman of the Golkar faction; and Suparno,
now retired, of the Police and the Indonesian Military faction.</p><p>Sudhono said their names were gleaned from the accounts of 11
witnesses from the council and the West Java administration.</p><p>"The three took the initiative and signed the requisition
letter for the Rp 25 billion, which was to be disbursed to all
the councillors," he said.</p><p>The cash payment was reportedly a "gift" from the West Java
administration. Each of the 100 councillors received Rp 250
million, which was to be paid over three fiscal years from 2001
to 2003.</p><p>The Rp 25 billion was to compensate for a 500-meter-square
plot of land that councillors were traditionally entitled to
receive.</p><p>But Sudhono said the supposed gift violated Article 3 of the
1999 Anticorruption Law, which bans people from misusing their
positions or authority to enrich themselves at the expense of
state funds. Violators of this article may face a life sentence
and a penalty of up to Rp 1 billion.</p><p>He further explained that the cash payment also breached
numerous regulations on the disbursement of state funds.</p><p>Deputy council speaker Kurdi, one of the three suspects, said
the cash disbursement followed the proper procedures, and that
the disbursement had already passed an internal audit by the
inspector general's office. Moreover, he said, the council had
won last February a lawsuit filed against them by a number of
non-governmental organization who demanded the money be returned.
"So why call us suspects all of a sudden?"</p><p>Kurdi claims the graft case smacked of a political ploy to
influence the upcoming gubernatorial election.</p><p>One of the candidates is provincial secretary Danny Setiawan,
who signed the approval letter for the councillors' gift and
could later be implicated in the case.</p><p>Danny was nominated by the Golkar and the PPP factions, while
his rival was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction.</p><p>Two of the suspects come from the first two factions, while
the third is from the Military and Police faction.</p><p>Kurdi has raised a question as to why council chairman Eka
Santoso of the PDI Perjuangan faction, who also received the cash
gift, was not named a suspect as well.</p><p>PDI Perjuangan is the only major faction contending the
gubernatorial election not implicated in the graft case.</p><p>The cash contribution stirred controversy in West Java, and a
consortium of non-governmental organizations in Bandung and West
Java lambasted the gift and declared it a proof of collusion
between the provincial administration and the council.</p><p>The so-called gift drew public attention after a number of
councillors tried, but failed, to return the money. They later
donated Rp 250 million each in staple foods for the poor.</p><p>Their peers, however, criticized the donation, saying it drew
unnecessary attention to those who kept their share of the gift,
while they tried to justify the gift at the same time.</p><p>One councillor described the cash contribution as a token of
appreciation from the government, because councillors do not
receive any pension funds.</p><p>Previous councillors have reportedly received a plot of land,
complete with a house, from the West Java administration. Now,
instead of property, the councillors receive cash.</p>