Jakarta Governor Basuki âAhokâ Tjahaja Purnama has said that some of his top officials have started to report gratuities they accepted to the Jakarta Inspectorate
akarta Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama has said that some of his top officials have started to report gratuities they accepted to the Jakarta Inspectorate.
Ahok said during the inauguration of 303 officials at City Hall on Friday he was grateful that a number of top officials had reported their gratuities.
'One of the officials was Ibu Tuty [Jakarta Development Planning Board head Tuty Kusumawati],'
he said.
He added that it proved many officials in the Jakarta administration were good employees.
Ahok said if officials claimed to have never taken state money but still accepted money then they could not claim to be clean.
'Many officials still accept gratuities or money from their subordinates, although they feel they are clean as they did not spend state money,' he said.
'I also have issued a gubernatorial regulation that orders a subdistrict head to directly sack neighborhood unit and community unit heads who collect illegal levies from residents or street vendors,' he said.
He warned the officials that the punishment for gratuity recipients would be harsh. 'If you are punished in a corruption case, you will be only jailed and asked to return the money while in a gratuity case, your wealth will be confiscated and you can be charged for money laundering,' he said.
Ahok said he hoped Jakarta officials were happy with their salaries. 'Our salaries and allowances are quite high now,' he said.
The city administration also plans to conduct a reshuffle early next year. 'I will replace 60 to 80 percent of the employees in February 2016,' Ahok said.
Separately, Jakarta Inspectorate chief Lasro Marbun said he and several other officials had started to report items and money they accepted to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
'It means that the governor's order has been responded to well by his subordinates,' he said.
Lasro said besides Tuty, other officials who reported gratuities included Tourism Agency head Purba Hutapea. 'The gratuities were in the form of cash and presents,' he said, adding that the Tourism Agency had handed over millions of rupiah in cash to the inspectorate.
Lasro returned items worth around Rp 20 million (US$1,480). He said he received the presents when he held a party in his house in his hometown.
' JP/Corry Elyda
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.
Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click!
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Get the best experience—faster access, exclusive features, and a seamless way to stay updated.