Prabowo Tops Candidate Rich List

Jakarta Globe, Rizky Ameliaç  Jul 02, 2014

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, second from right, and his running
 mate Hatta Radjasa, right, sing a national song accompanied by rival presidential
 candidate Joko Widodo, second from left, and his running mate Jusuf Kalla, left, as
 they announced their wealth at the Indonesian General Elections Commition office
in Jakarta on July 1, 2014. Prabowo is the richest among the four, with wealth listed
at $148 million. (EPA Photo/Bagus Indahono)

Jakarta. Former Army general Prabowo Subianto is by far the richest among the four presidential and vice presidential candidates, with a total of $148 million in wealth, according to data verified by the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK.

Prabowo’s wealth largely consists of share ownership in 26 companies totaling Rp 1.52 trillion ($128.4 million) and includes four homes worth Rp 106 billion, eight vehicles worth Rp 1.4 billion, and artworks and antique items totaling Rp 3 billion.

Prabowo has amassed a total of Rp 1.67 trillion in local currency and $7.5 million. Prabowo announced the figures himself at the office of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday.

Coming in second is vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla, the running mate of Prabowo’s rival, Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo. Kalla, a renowned businessman from Makassar and the vice president of Indonesia from 2004 to 2009, is worth a total of $40.2 million — less than a third of Prabowo’s wealth.

Kalla’s wealth is also mostly based in share ownership — in 13 companies, worth nearly Rp 335 billion in total. He has 51 property units totaling Rp 121.8 billion, four vehicles worth Rp 525 million, as well as nearly Rp 7 billion in cash.

Prabowo’s running mate Hatta Rajasa and Joko come in at almost the same figure, but far below Kalla’s and much less than Prabowo’s.

Hatta has a total of $2.6 million in wealth, mostly composed of 14 homes totaling Rp 21.7 billion, as well as Rp 4 billion of securities, Rp 2 billion of antique goods and artworks, and Rp 1.65 billion in jewelry.

Joko, who ran a furniture business before becoming mayor of the Central Java town of Solo and, later, governor of Jakarta, is the least wealthy of the candidates. The majority of his $2.5 million is based in 24 homes totaling Rp 29 billion. Joko also has 12 vehicles worth Rp 954 million and Rp 488 million in bank accounts.

The two presidential candidates and their running mates appeared at the KPU office on Tuesday to publicly announce the KPK-verified figures.

News portal Tempo.co reported that Prabowo amassed approximately Rp 10.7 billion in wealth by 2003, and Hatta around Rp 17 billion in 2012.

State-run news agency Antara, meanwhile, reported Joko’s wealth totaling Rp 18.5 billion by 2010 and Kalla around Rp 315 billion by 2009.

Producing wealth reports on candidates prior to an election provides a measure by which to increase transparency and reduce corruption.