Pardede tops wealth report with Rp 506 billion

Members of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) declared their wealth at a public hearing before the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), activists, experts and the media, at the House of Representatives building here Monday.

Council speaker Irman Gusman reported that 124 of the 132 council members had submitted reports, while others had to complete their paperwork.

Gusman said his personal wealth was Rp 31 billion (US$3.4 million).

The council’s deputy chairmen, Laode Ida of Southeast Sulawesi and Gusti Kanjeng Ratu Hemas of Yogyakarta, reported that their wealth stood at Rp 647 million ($70,523) and Rp 15.78 billion ($1.7 million).

Rudolf Pardede of North Sumatra, considered the richest council member, reported a net worth of Rp 506 billion ($55.1 million), while his counterpart from Lampung, Prihantoro Arang, reported a negative balance of Rp 325 million.

KPK deputy chairman Haryono Umar announced that council members had set a historical milestone in declaring their wealth.

“The commission did not need to send a single letter to urge council members to submit their forms,” Haryono said, adding that all council members had shown their intention to obey laws regulating corruption.

Under the 2003 Law on Corruption, all state officials and lawmakers are obliged to report the extent of their wealth to the commission. The State Official Wealth Report Form aims to identify ways in which officials have obtained their assets.

The commission reserves the right to investigate the legality of such assets. However, critics have said that the law has loopholes, in which officials could report their source of wealth as “donations”. Many officials, including Supreme Audit Agency chief Hadi Poernomo, reported a large proportion of their wealth as donations, a move  the KPK is powerless to investigate. (tsy)