Jakarta – Candidates at the presidential elections last month failed to report an estimated total of 288 billion rupiah (S$53.9 million) in campaign funds to the election authorities, said an anti-graft body.

According to Transparency International Indonesia (TII), monitoring by 650 volunteers in 19 regions showed that candidates spent 579 billion rupiah on campaigning but reported spending 291 billion rupiah. "There is a big discrepancy between the actual and reported spending," TII secretary-general Emmy Hafild said on Thursday.

She suspected the gap occurred because numerous campaign activities in the regions were not recorded in the presidential candidates' accounts.

According to TII, Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri and running mate Hasyim Muzadi, who reported spending only 84 billion rupiah, topped the list with 118 billion rupiah unaccounted for. Presidential pair Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla placed second for reporting only 71 billion rupiah out of a total of 143 billion rupiah, said TII.

The Wiranto-Solahuddin Wahid team spent 138 billion rupiah but reported only 86 billion rupiah, while Dr Amien Rais and running mate Siswono Yudo Husodo disbursed 75 billion rupiah but reported only 30 billion rupiah. The team of Hamzah Haz and Agum Gumelar spent 21 billion rupiah, or 5 billion rupiah above what they reported.

But a member of Mr Bambang's campaign team had an explanation for some discrepancies – TII wrongly assumed the cost of campaign ads. "We paid usually between 10 per cent and 15 per cent of the normal price for a lot of those ads," said Mr Alwi Hamu.