TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia Corruption Watch named Banten as the most corrupt province in the health sector. The corruption in the province led by Ratu Atut Chosiyah in 2001-2013 caused state losses to reach Rp71.59 billion, topping the list of 24 provinces observed for corruption cases.

“We suspect Banten [has the highest corruption degree] because of its overly dominant political dynasty,” ICW’s Public Service Monitoring Division Coordinator Febri Hendri said at the ICW office on Sunday, January 26, 2014.

According to Febri, the strong influence exerted by Atut Chosiyah’s family on her region’s bureaucracy, serves as catalyst for corruption. “For example, she could persuade auction committees to win the people she appoints,” Febri said.

Atut is now in prison as a suspect in several graft cases, including Banten’s medical equipment procurement and blackmail toward her subordinates. Atut’s brother Chaeri Wardana is also a suspect in Banten and South Tangerang’s medical equipment procurement graft case.

South Tangerang Hospital’s doctor Daniel Richard said that corruption infects not only his place of work, but also almost all Public Hospitals and Community Health Centers. The most common modus operandi is price markup on goods of up to 50 percent, purchase of goods that do not comply with minimum specifications, purchase of discontinued goods at new prices, and auction committee manipulation—by fixing prices unadjusted to market prices.

Despite his admitting that corruption in his city is systemic, Daniel claimed he did not know whether South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmy Diani is involved in the corruption committed by her husband, Chaeri Wardana.

After Banten, North Sumatera placed second with 15 cases and state losses amounting to Rp59.16 billion, followed by Aceh with eight cases and Rp36.25 billion, and West Java with 12 cases and Rp28.01 billion.

BUNGA MANGGIASIH