No more golf with "clients"

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati forbids his staffs, including the director generals, playing golf with people who might trigger conflict of interest. They are allowed to play golf with their colleagues. 

"I told my director generals, play no more golf with people with potential conflict of interests. I'm not suspicious about golfing, but please play with your colleague. For example, director general for tax could play golf with director general of treasury, so they could work together in the tax reporting, for example," Sri Mulyani is quoted by Detik.com.

Last year, South Korea president Lee Myung-bak asked State officers in the country to stop playing golf, because of expensive membership fee (US$250,000) and financial crisis. 

Well, public have repeatedly criticized State officers for their golfing habit with "clients", including between prosecutors and suspects, or judges and lawyers, police officers and brokers, between project leaders and suppliers or contractors.

Last month, legislator at House Commission III, urged police not to play golf with the brokers. "Golfing is the entrance gate for brokers in criminal and civil cases. Look at KPK. There is no golf," Harry Wicaksono, legislator from Demokrat Party said.

Former KPK chairman Antasari Azhar is famous for the alleged "affair" with caddy Rani Juliani.

It's expensive too. Last year, media reported annual budget of US$1 million for golf membership and activities of Bank Jatim, a bank controlled by local administrations in East Java, based on audit by Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Early this year, Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) discovered huge golf expenses for the board of directors of state-owned airport management company PT Angkasa Pura I.

Panda Nababan, legislator from PDI-P, asked National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri about golfing activities of local and regional police chiefs while their salary are not enough to buy the golf sticks. "How they finance their golfing hobby?" That's an easy question to answer: the brokers of cases being handled or investigated by police! (Haryanto Suharman contributed to this report)   

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