10 parities 'shared Rp 109b from Bulog'<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Medan\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid alleged on Friday
\nthat 10 parties received Rp 109 billion (US$10.9 million) from
\nthe State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and former president B.J.
\nHabibie.<\/p>\n
Speaking before alumni of the University of Indonesia, Gus Dur
\nsaid he had written evidence from a reliable source.<\/p>\n
\"My reliable source has all the written evidence and copies of
\nthe receipts,\" he said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said he would share the information or hand over the
\nevidence should the police or the Attorney General's Office
\nrequest he do so.<\/p>\n
He pointed out on Thursday in Medan, North Sumatra, that
\nbesides Golkar, President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Minister of
\nDefense Matori Abdul Djalil's National Awakening Party (PKB) also
\nreceived money.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan allegedly received Rp 38 billion while PKB
\nreceived Rp 8 billion when it was still chaired by Matori, Gus
\nDur said without elaborating.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur was impeached in the Special Session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly (MPR) in 2001 for his alleged involvement
\nin the illegal disbursement of Bulog funds to a business
\nassociate. His impeachment split PKB into two factions, the
\nMatori-led PKB and Alwi Shihab-PKB.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Gus Dur said that Vice President Hamzah Haz's Muslim-
\nbased United Development Party (PPP) received Rp 24 billion from
\nBulog.<\/p>\n
He also said that Golkar did not receive Rp 40 billion from
\nBulog, as widely believed, but Rp 54 billion.<\/p>\n
Golkar leader Akbar Tandjung is currently being detained at
\nthe Attorney General's Office on a corruption charge. The scandal
\ncenters on the disbursement of Rp 40 billion for relief
\nassistance to the poor in 1999.<\/p>\n
Matori reportedly borrowed the money on behalf of PKB, \"But
\nwhen checked by PKB treasurer and other PKB leaders, (I learned
\nthat) PKB never received money from Bulog,\" Gus Dur said.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur said he learned that the money flowed from Bulog to
\npolitical parties from former Election Committee (KPU) chairman
\nRudini but chose not to reveal those findings to the public on
\nthe grounds of presumption of innocence.<\/p>\n
Rudini was KPU chairman in the 1999 general election, the
\ncountry's freest election in three decades.<\/p>\n
\"There is a conflict between the public's right to know and
\nthe law's presumption of innocence,\" Gus Dur said.<\/p>\n
\"I learned from KPU that there were violations, that Bulog
\ngave money to a number of political leaders,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He also said that Habibie gave Rp 14 billion to the leader of
\na political party but refused to reveal the party's name.<\/p>\n
\"I don't want to mention the party's name because I have
\nalready told it to law enforcers and it is up to them to
\ninvestigate or not,\" Gus Dur argued.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Vice President Hamzah Haz and Minister of Defense
\nMatori Abdul Djalil denied on Thursday ever receiving money from
\nBulog, and that Gus Dur's allegation was baseless.<\/p>\n
\"It is not true,\" said Hamzah after a Cabinet meeting on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Matori, who called Bulog a cemetery for politicians, also
\ndenied the allegation, saying that as far as he knew it was Gus
\nDur who was implicated in the scandal.<\/p>\n
\"Was it not Gus Dur who was associated to the Bulog scandal,
\nwhich resulted in the (MPR) Special Session?\" Matori asked,
\nreiterating his statement that he was not involved.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the allegation, National Police chief Gen. Da'i
\nBachtiar asked Gus Dur to present his information on the
\nembezzlement of Bulog funds to the police or the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that Gus Dur can bring this information to the police
\nor to the Attorney General's Office. He could provide the
\ninformation by writing a letter or he could visit our office in
\nperson,\" Da'i said.<\/p>\n
\"I am not going to ask Gus Dur to come because it would give
\nthe wrong impression if the police summon a former president,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Da'i further said that every piece of information should be
\nstrongly backed up so the police could investigate corruption
\ncases.<\/p>\n
\"It applies to everybody, not just Gus Dur. Anyone who has any
\ninformation on any case should come forward so we can follow it
\nup,\" he remarked.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/10-parities-shared-rp-109b-from-bulog-1447893297",
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