Watchdog Asks KPK to Probe $70m Dubious Working Trips by House Members
In the spotlight, 17 May 2016
by Alex Flor
Some delegation members were late at an official date in Berlin
Foto: PPI
Unnecessary state visits by delegations of the Indonesian Parliament have more than once been targeted by Watch Indonesia! and other organizations through protest actions and reporting. Now the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been asked to investigate on these tourist trips.
read more:
www.watchindonesia.org/II_2_12/SUARA_2012_2.pdf, S. 5
www.watchindonesia.org/II_3_12/SUARA_2012_3_komplett.pdf, S. 15
www.watchindonesia.org/14177/schwarze-magie-lehren-aus-europa?lang=de
www.watchindonesia.org/13502/tolak-studi-banding-dpr-ke-jerman?lang=ID
Jakarta Globe, 15 May 2016
jakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/news/watchdog-asks-kpk-probe-70m-dubious-working-trips-house-members
Watchdog Asks KPK to Probe $70m Dubious Working Trips
by House Members
Jakarta. Indonesia’s most prominent antigraft watchdog urged the Corruption Eradication Commission to launch an investigation after a recent audit found irregularities surrounding some of the working trips conducted by members of the House of Representatives, potentially costing the state more than Rp 945 billion ($70 million) in losses.
All 560 lawmakers are entitled to Rp 2.5 billion a year each to conduct working trips both at home and abroad. Nearly all took full advantage of the available funds but most could not justify the junkets they made with report of what they did during said trips. They were also unable to submit receipts to prove their actual expenses, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) revealed this week.
Indonesia Corruption Watch senior researcher Febri Hendri said the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) must launch an investigation based on this findings, saying that the problem has long plagued the House – which is already criticized for the appallingly low number of bills passed – and never gets resolved.
„The KPK must investigate the case thoroughly. Don’t let the problem be settled administratively and out of court,“ Febri said on Sunday (15/05).
The ICW researcher said the case served as another example how lax the House and the various political parties monitor their lawmakers.
The House „is tasked with monitoring the government, how can people trust them with this task if they can’t monitor themselves,“ he said.
Febri added that by prosecuting the case, the KPK could help stop the practice from reoccurring.
The KPK said on Friday that it is waiting for the BPK to submit the audit report.
„We need to examine in detail what the findings are,“ KPK spokeswoman Yuyuk Andriati said.
BPK chairman Harry Azhar Aziz said parties inside the House could still complete the report of all the working trips conducted by their respective lawmakers before the audit agency releases its final assessment next month.
