Legislators officially report House to KPK for Rp 20b renovation

A group of legislators say they have reported to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) the renovation of the House of Representatives’ budget committee room worth Rp 20.3 billion (US$2.21 million) on the grounds of suspected fund abuse.

“We have officially reported a suspected digression in the renovation project of the House’s budget committee room. The fact that the cost of the construction of the room reached Rp 20 billion needs to be questioned,” lawmaker Syarifuddin Sudin said Thursday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

“This tarnishes the House’s image. So let the KPK investigate this case.”

Syarifuddin, who filed the report, added that he had also reported to the KPK a Rp 2 billion House plan to renovate toilets and the construction of a parking area within the House compound.

“We officially reported them all as dubious projects at the House. We did not include supporting data [in the report], but we will let the KPK investigate them,” he said.

On Wednesday, House general secretary Nining Indra Saleh revealed that the House had budgeted Rp 20.3 billion for the renovation of its budget committee room.

The fund, she said, was spent to renovate and expand the capacity of the budget committee room, as well as renew several of the room’s facilities. (awd)