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AKARTA: Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama has revealed that he recruited interns and special staffers who have affiliations with giant private companies and developers, including Lippo Group, Sinar Mas Group and Bank Artha Graha International.

Ahok told reporters at City Hall on Friday that there were special staffers currently working for him who included Melvany Kasih, the daughter of Bank Artha Graha International president director Andy Kasih.

'€œMy interns include the children of Sulis [Gandi Sulistiyanto Soeherman], the managing director of Sinar Mas Group and CEO Lippo Group Roy Tirtadji,'€ he said.

Ahok said he guaranteed that although the staffers were affiliated with big business, they would not create any conflict of interest. '€œThey cannot make any decisions,'€ he said.

He added that the recruitment of the children from top businesspeople also aimed to send the message that the city administration had changed.

'€œWe do not receive bribes or take sides with anyone,'€ he said, adding that he disclosed the content of all meetings to guarantee transparency.

He said that he also employed many other interns from various academic and social backgrounds.

There have been rumors circulating that say Teman Ahok (Friends of Ahok), an organization that is currently gathering support for Ahok to run as an independent candidate in the next gubernatorial election, is funded by Artha Graha.

Ahok denied the rumor, saying that those who spread those rumors should prove their allegations.