Jakarta – A coalition of anticorruption groups on Tuesday reported 77 legislators to the House of Representatives' disciplinary council for alleged violations of the House's code of ethics.
The legislators are accused of involvement in a series of corruption cases, including two bribery scandals plaguing Bank Indonesia.
The Coalition for the House's Image Enforcement, which includes Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW), the Initiative Institute and the Independent Committee on Elections Monitoring (KIPP), demanded the council launch an investigation into the 77 legislators.
Activists from the coalition submitted a list of 77 names to the disciplinary council's secretariat after failing to meet its leaders because of procedural reasons. Council deputy chairman Tiurlan Hutagaol argued that petitioners were required to give their reports to the council's secretariat.
"An analysis of the report will then be conducted by the secretariat and expert staff. The council will decide whether the coalition's report qualifies for a follow-up," he added.
Adnan Topan Husodo, the ICW's coordinator for political corruption, said most of the 77 legislators, from all factions in the House, were involved in a 2003 bribery scandal at the central bank.
The report claims 43 legislators were implicated in the high-profile case, with another 13 implicated in a bribery scandal related to the 2004 election of Miranda Swaray Goeltom as BI senior deputy governor.
Two other House members were alleged to have been involved in bribery cases in relation to two forest conversion projects in Riau Islands province and South Sumatra. Another legislator was reported for alleged embezzlement in the procurement of patrol boats by the Transportation Ministry.
The remaining 18 legislators violated the House's code of ethics by making overseas trips without the House leaders' consent, the coalition said.
"The ICW has evidence for these cases. On the BI bribery case, we have the verdict and the dossier of (legislator) Hamka Yandhu's trial. We have also received many reports from community members on these cases, in addition to media reports," Adnan said.
However, Tiurlan said media reports on graft cases were insufficient evidence for reporting House members to the disciplinary council.
"We need solid proof, such as video tapes, liquefaction, payment receipts," he told The Jakarta Post.
He did, however, promise that the council would meet to discuss the report from the coalition.