AGO names Arifin suspect in graft case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Businessman and politician Arifin Panigoro has
\nbeen named a suspect for his involvement in several graft cases,
\nthe Attorney General's Office announced on Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Spokesman Muljohardjo explained that the investigating team
\nhad found sufficient evidence in documents and witnesses'
\ntestimonies to take further action.<\/p>\n
Arifin is chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction at the House of Representatives
\n(DPR), and he had proposed to bring forward the special session
\nof the People's Consultative Assembly. The party, however, has
\nrejected the idea.<\/p>\n
Muljohardjo revealed that one of the cases was related to a
\nloan agreement between Arifin's company Medco group and state-
\nowned investment company PT Bahana Pembinaan Usaha Indonesia
\n(Voice of Indonesian Business Development, BPUI).<\/p>\n
"In a session evaluating the cases, attended by a team of
\ninvestigators, senior state prosecutors and all deputy attorneys
\ngeneral, it was agreed to intensify the investigation by naming
\nArifin and his accomplices suspects," he told a media conference
\nat his office.<\/p>\n
"The state prosecutors are still calculating the losses to the
\nstate," he added.<\/p>\n
Muljohardjo failed to name the accomplices, arguing that the
\nrecent investigation was still limited.<\/p>\n
He said that before the suspect in the case was named, state
\nprosecutors did not have the power to intensify the investigation
\nto encompass other names connected to the case.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors have investigated the BPUI case over the past two
\nmonths and named former minister of finance Ali Wardhana as a
\nsuspect in a US$110 million graft case at the company where he is
\npresident commissioner.<\/p>\n
Many executives of BPUI and Medco group, including Arifin's
\nbrother Hilmi Panigoro, have been questioned.<\/p>\n
Medco's still has debts with BPUI amounting to $77 million,
\nwhich will fall due in December 2001.<\/p>\n
Arifin, who is one of the most vocal opponents of the
\nembattled President Abdurrahman Wahid, has repeatedly denied
\nthere was anything criminal in the deal with BPUI, saying it was
\npurely business.<\/p>\n
Arifin, however, has not been summoned for questioning.<\/p>\n
Late attorney general Baharuddin Lopa had repeatedly disclosed
\nhis plan to summon Arifin and House Speaker Akbar Tandjung from
\nthe Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
Reports allege that Akbar was involved in a graft case
\ninvolving the alleged misuse of non-budgetary funds belonging to
\nState Logistics Agency (Bulog) in his capacity as Golkar chairman
\nto win the last general election in 1999. (bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ago-names-arifin-suspect-in-graft-case-1447893297",
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