Workers union urges city to settle corruption cases

Workers union urges city to settle corruption cases

JAKARTA (JP): The workers union at the city-owned tap water
company PAM demanded on Tuesday the City Council push the city
administration to settle corruption cases at city-owned
companies.

"The City Council's Team 11 earlier announced the existence of
corruption cases totaling between Rp 1.3 trillion to Rp 1.6
trillion (US$185 million to 228 million)," the union's chairman
Idris Mansuri said, without giving details.

The council established Team 11 early last month to evaluate
PAM Jaya's water management deal with its two foreign partners,
PT Thames Pam Jaya (TPJ) and PT Pam Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja).

"We also found corruption costing at least Rp 126 billion in
Pam Jaya's projects," Idris added.

He said there were at least three major projects where 10
percent of the value of each project had been corrupted.

"The projects were PAM Jaya System Improvement Project (PJSIP)
worth Rp 400 billion, the Zone 3 and 6 piping projects also worth
Rp 400 billion and the Buaran 2 piping project worth Rp 350
billion," Idris said.

"PAM Jaya executives corrupted Rp 115 billion from those
projects," he said, while citing the union had found a lot of
fictions works and those which did not meet the company's
standards and requirements.

"For example, we found pipes not installed in sand as they
were supposed to be. Where has all the money and sand gone?" said
Idris, while hinting that the union had uncovered a loss of Rp 11
billion worth of pipes and accessories.

"We've checked it and found that the total loss from the three
projects was Rp 126 billion," he said.

Idris also said PAM Jaya executives had used workers' money to
buy 30 Timor sedans without their consent.

"The money belonged to the worker's cooperative and has been
used illegally," he said.

"The sedans were bought at Rp 40 million each while the market
price was Rp 50 million at the time of purchase.

"The company then sold the sedans to Palyja and TPJ executives
for Rp 10 million each."

Idris set a three-day deadline for the City Council to issue
an order to the city administration to cancel the water
management deal.

"We'll be here on Friday to know the final decision on the
water deal," said Idris to the councilors.

Team 11's chairman Tarmidi Suhardjo, from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction, said the
team's duty was to issue a recommendation on the water management
deal.

"The team doesn't have any authority to decide on the deal,
whether to continue with it or not. It's up to the council
speaker to do so," said Tarmidi.

He, however, promised to reveal the truth in all the
corruption cases.

"The team will ask the council leaders to have a say on the
corruption cases," he said. (05)