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.