West Java legislators to return Rp 25b gift

West Java legislators to return Rp 25b gift

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Following increasing criticism and public outcry, West Java
legislators look set to return the Rp 25 billion (US$2.84
million) they received as a gift from the provincial
administration recently.

Eka Santosa, chairman of the provincial legislative council,
said here over the weekend that the decision was reached after
the council held a two-day meeting in the presence of all
factions on Friday.

He admitted that all legislators realized that they did not
deserve the gift since such an action was against the oath they
took in becoming legislators.

"When we accepted the funds as a gift from the provincial
administration, we are not aware of the local people's suffering
amid the prolonged crisis. We apologize to the public for
insulting their feelings and for lacking a sense of crisis," Eka
said, adding that he hoped the apology would restore the
legislative council's tarnished image.

Eka, however, said that the legislature had yet to decide how
legislators would return the funds and, therefore, faction
leaders would discuss it with Governor A. Nuriana.

"The return of the fund will be conducted in a plenary session
in the presence of the governor because the gift was also given
by the governor in a similar forum," he said, adding that what
was most important was that the legislators were committed to
returning the funds.

He hinted that the legislators would need time to pay back the
cash because they had already used it to purchase houses.

Each legislator received Rp 250 million as the amount given to
the legislative council totaled Rp 250 billion.

The gift was given to the legislators after the legislative
council decided earlier this year not to investigate allegations
of major corruption implicating high-ranking officials, including
the governor.

Separately, Indra Perwira, a state administration expert from
Padjadjaran University in Bandung said that it was not necessary
to hold a plenary session to return the gift.

"The acceptance of the gift was actually a procedural error
and against public administration law. If the legislators are
willing to do it, just return it directly to the governor who is
in charge of the province's finance affairs," he said, adding
that the governor would then be responsible for the
administrative transgression.

Indra said that returning the gift would free the legislators
from legal sanctions but not from the public's moral sanctions.

"At least, it will keep the legislators free to express their
opinions in managing the provincial administration and evaluating
the governor's performance and progress reports," he said.

Some legislators admitted that the scandal had affected the
legislative council's agenda.

Gatot Tjahjono of the budget committee said that there were
eight provincial rulings that were supposed to be deliberated
this week but they were postponed due to the scandal.