Graft is still graft, no matter how you dress it up

Police chief defiant over PT Freeport aid

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Fri, 10/28/2011 3:21 PM


National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo on Friday admitted that his institution had accepted money from PT Freeport to each officer who helped secure the firm’s assets in Papua.

Timur, however, said the money was officers’ extra allowance for serving in Papua.

“[The money] can be accounted for, because it is in Papua,” he said Friday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Timur added that living costs in Papua were higher than in other parts of Indonesia. The officers’ standard allowance, he said, would not have been enough to cover their basic needs.

He added that the money given by Freeport, which according to Kontras human rights watchdog was Rp 1.4 million per officer per day, was handed directly to officers in Papua.

Timur argued that the acceptance of such money did not violate any laws or regulations.

“If there are funds from agencies or companies wanting to give security incentives, it should be accountable,” he said.