Vice President Jusuf Kalla says he fully supports Jakarta Governor Basuki âAhokâ Tjahaja Purnamaâs move to report to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) the âinvisibleâ programs worth some Rp 12
ice President Jusuf Kalla says he fully supports Jakarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama's move to report to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) the 'invisible' programs worth some Rp 12.1 trillion (US$98 million) in the city's 2015 draft budget, as well as alleged markups in programs.
'Let him do it. I fully support Pak Ahok's step to prove the allegation,' he said prior to returning from a work visit to the country's eastern region in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Saturday.
According to Kalla, with the move Ahok and the Jakarta City Council will discover the truth regarding the alleged markup in the planned procurement of uninterruptible power supply (UPS) devices for the 55 schools in the city.
'If Ahok is proven true, he will unlikely be impeached. Adversely, if he is found wrong, he is wrong,' kompas.com quoted him as saying.
This is good for the implementation of a checks-and-balance system between the executive and the legislative in the provincial administration in the capital city,' he added.
South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo concurred, saying both the legislative and executive bodies should uphold transparency in preparing the budget.
'In preparing the annual budget, there should be no invisible agenda that could raise suspicions. In regional administrations, regional heads and the legislative council should sit together to prepare and deliberate their draft budget,' he said.
In Jakarta, KPK deputy chairman Johan Budi said after looking at Ahok's report and explanation on Friday, the commission found indications of potential graft in the draft budget.
The Jakarta City Council has set up a 33-member special committee to carry out a political inquiry into the alleged violation committed by Ahok, who declined to submit the draft budget endorsed by the council to the Home Ministry for approval. (rms)
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