Busway Suspect Udar Says Jokowi Knows All
An investigation of the transportation office's procurement process allegedly found several irregularities. (SP Photo/Joanito De Saojoao)
Jakarta. Things could get ugly for presidential hopefuls Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo as the July 9 election inches closer as rival political parties start to scrutinize their performance and background.
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) candidate Joko Widodo is now facing accusations from a former subordinate that he was involved in the controversial TransJakarta procurement.
Former Jakarta Transportation Office chief Udar Pristono, who has now been named a graft suspect by the Attorney General's Office, said Jakarta governor Joko Widodo knew about the tender process and received reports on the components of the buses procured in 2013.
"Pak Jokowi definitely knew about it," Udar said. "He knew exactly, it's impossible he didn't know about it. Pak Jokowi and I went to Tanjung Priok port [in North Jakarta] when the buses arrived. I have the video and pictures."
Udar lamented that the AGO had only scrutinized the Jakarta Transportation Office for allegedly misappropriating the city bus procurement budget.
He said the city administration had left him and the Office to deal with a major problem on their own and that dozens of the office's employees have been questioned by the AGO, with five of them named suspects.
"We want protection from the leaders," Udar said. "There is nothing that can ease our burden. Things that are civil in nature have become criminal."
"We are just civil servants who follow the state administrative law. We're not criminals."
Udar signed a Rp 1.5 trillion ($120 million) contract for the Chinese buses, which upon arrival in the capital earlier this year were discovered to be overpriced and unfit for use, with issues spanning from broken air conditioners to rusty frames and missing fan belts.
He was one of several top officials axed from their offices in February by Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo.
Udar said the purchase of the buses was the governor's full responsibility.
In response to the accusation, Joko acknowledged that he is responsible for all the policies he made but not for the irregularities committed by his subordinates.
"All policies are under the responsibility of the governor. When irregularities are committed in the policy, whose responsibility is that? This has become a legal matter," Joko said.
Joko said he was never involved in the technical process of the procurement of the buses from China.
Joko's lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis, on Thursday refuted Udar's claim that the governor had been properly informed about the procurement.
Udar made the statement in a press conference on Wednesday.
"In the press conference Udar said Joko knew about the TransJakarta buses. As Joko's lawyer we would like to emphasize that Joko, as the Jakarta governor, was not involved in the technical matters of the bus procurement," Todung said.
He said that despite approving the budget, Joko was in no way involved in the budget mark-up.
Udar has hired Eggy Sudjana & Partners to defend him in the case.
Eggy is also known as a member of Great Indonesian Movement Party's presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto's campaign team.
The appointment of Eggy as Udar's lawyer could be seen as political and part of the efforts to attack him ahead of the presidential election.
Razman Arif, one of the members of Udar's team of lawyers denied the political connection.
Razman said Udar's statement regarding Joko's involvement in the case was not an attack on a presidential candidate.
"I'd like to emphasize that the press conference held by Udar yesterday [Wednesday] was purely an effort to seek justice and has nothing to do with the election or politics," he said.
Todung said Joko is ready to testify as a witness before AGO investigators in the graft case.
Alexander Lay, who is also on Joko's legal team said he joined it so he could counter any efforts to prevent the Jakarta governor from being elected as the country's next president.
"Many parties don't want to see Jokowi get elected as president. So, we are here to defend him," he said.
Posted by: "Sunny" <ambon@tele2.se>
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