Wealth commission in uphill battle with councillors
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) plans to report seven Jakarta city councillors, including a brother-in-law of President Megawati, to the city police for not reporting their wealth, a commission executive said on Friday.
"We have sent warning letters two times to the councillors and will send the third letters next Monday," the commission's deputy chairman for legislative affairs Abdullah Hehamahua told reporters.
Abdullah said the commission would file a report to the police 10 days after the third letter is sent (Dec. 26) if the councillors had not responded by that time.
According to the commission's list, the seven councillors, include Santayana Kiemas, who is the brother of Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas, and Lambertus Gainadara from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
The others are Tubagus Abas Soleh Makmun and Mohamad Ishak from the National Awakening Party (PKB), Nazamuddin and Edy Suchro of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Saud Rahman of the United Development Party, who died several months ago.
KPKPN apparently was not aware of the passing of Edy.
According to the law, the commission has the right to investigate the officials' wealth but prosecution is to be handled by the police.
If it is found that the wealth was gained through corruption, the officials could be dismissed and face trial.
However, as of this week, the position of KPKPN has gotten considerably weaker as the House of Representatives approved a bill which will disband the commission and set up an entirely new Anti Corruption Commission, which will start from scratch and effectively negating all the background work that KPKPN has done for the last few years.
KPKPN will be disbanded when the Anti Corruption Commission is set up within a year after the House's approval, which occurred last week.
The liquidation of KPKPN is widely believed to be due to the commission's strong, honest investigations into the wealth of state officials and politicians.
On Dec. 4, the commission reported Attorney General M.A. Rachman to the National Police headquarters after they found evidence of serious irregularities with the country's top law enforcement official.
Weeks before reporting to the police, KPKPN had grilled Rachman for allegedly trying to cover up several valuable assets, including a luxurious mansion in Jakarta. Rachman is still in office and refuses to step down, while Megawati, who appointed him has said she would not ask him to step down.
But many doubt that the police will take KPKPN's report very seriously since the police will eventually have to hand over all criminal dossiers to the Attorney General's Office while Rachman remains the boss and all his deputies have sworn their loyalty to him personally, apparently in lieu of what any law says.
Police also need to get presidential permission to investigate Rahman, or ask for the Minister of Home Affairs approval if they want to investigate city councillors. So the process could still take a very long time.
Abdullah said on Friday that KPKPN also found that the wealth of the 78 councillors of the city's 85 councillors who had submitted their reports had sharply increased.
"The councillors claimed that the wealth was secured 'according to procedures'. But we will recheck them," Abdullah said without mentioning details of the wealth.