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House elects next supreme audit members

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Jakarta Globe - September 25, 2019

Robertus Wardi & Fana Suparman, Jakarta – The finance commission at the House of Representatives on Wednesday elected four politicians and a professional to become the next board members of the Supreme Audit Agency for the 2019-2024 period.

Pius Lustrilanang, from Prabowo Subianto's Great Indonesia Movement Party, won the most votes from the commission members. Daniel Lumban Tobing of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) came second. Hendra Susanto, a veteran auditor from the agency, known as the BPK, also made it to the board.

Democratic Party's Achsanul Qosasi and Golkar Party's Harry Azhar Aziz, who served in the agency's board in the previous period, will continue for a second term.

Jhonny G. Plate, a Democratic Party lawmaker who was involved in the voting process, hailed the result because it allows the incumbents and a BPK career official to serve with the board, ensuring a smooth transition at the agency.

BPK is responsible for auditing central and regional government spending, which will reach $181 billion next year, as well as the financial performance of state-owned enterprises.

Eva Kusuma Sundari, another commission member from PDI-P, welcomed the result, especially the election of a BPK official. "This countered public suspicion that all the posts will be taken up by political parties," she said.

The election on Wednesday coincided with an announcement from the Corruption Eradication Agency naming Rizal Djalil, a current BPK board member from the National Mandate Party (PAN), a suspect in a high-profile corruption case.

Rizal allegedly received 100,000 Singapore dollars ($72,500) from Leonardo Jusminarta Prasetyo, the president commissioner of Minarta Dutahutama, a company that bid for a drinking water supply system project at the Public Works and Public Housing Ministry in 2016.

A special BPK audit that Rizal ordered on BPK projects between 2014 to 2016 found potential state losses of Rp 18 billion ($1.3 million).

To alter the result, Rizal allegedly asked for Rp 2.3 billion from ministry officials. Also, he allegedly arranged for Leonardo's company to win another water supply system project at the ministry.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/context/house-elects-next-supreme-audit-members

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