Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The opening of the first lawsuit aimed at halting the construction of a controversial new office tower for legislators had to be adjourned on Monday when none of the respondents showed up.
The hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court was only attended by the group of concerned citizens who had filed the suit against the Rp 1.13 trillion ($130 million) project for the House of Representatives.
Judge Antonius Widiantoro, presiding in the case, adjourned proceedings to May 2 to give the House leaders – the respondents in the case – time to attend. But Habiburrokhman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said he was disappointed by the court's decision, which he claimed favored the House.
"Whenever those in political power are sued, the judges will happily protect them," he said. "Why do we need to wait so long for the House leadership to attend the trial? The court isn't that far from the House."
He also complained about the judge's refusal to allow the plaintiffs to call President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as a witness.
The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) and several other nongovernmental organizations have also prepared a civil suit against the project, but that case has yet to go to court.
House Deputy Speaker Priyo Budi Santoso, one of the respondents named in the suit, said on Monday that he knew nothing about it. He added he had never been informed of the court case or asked to attend.
Even if he had been aware of it, he went on, that was no guarantee that he would have gone to court in person. "We in the House leadership wouldn't have necessarily attended the trial," he said. "In such a case we might delegate responsibility to our legal staff."
Priyo also said the House leadership had no plans to postpone the office project, which now is in the bidding phase, despite the legal challenge against it.
"Let them go ahead with the lawsuit," he said. "The most important thing is that this project is carried out without any violations of the law. We have also requested that the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] supervise the entire process."
Four state-owned contractors and one private company have passed the first qualification phase for the construction of the new office tower.
However, the bidding process cannot proceed any further until the Public Works Ministry has evaluated the building plan. The House has given the ministry a month to carry out the evaluation from the time of the announcement of the first-phase winners.
The office tower project has been widely criticized by budget watchdogs, particularly Fitra, as well as the public and individual legislators as both wasteful and unnecessary.
However, the House has refused to budge on the issue, insisting the growing number of staff employed by each legislator warrants a new building, which it says will cost Rp 1.13 trillion but which watchdogs say will climb to Rp 1.8 trillion once furniture and fixtures are included.