AGO to question Akbar, Wiranto on Wednesday<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office on Friday issued summonses for
\nHouse of Representatives' Speaker Akbar Tandjung and former
\nmilitary chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto to appear at the office on
\nWednesday for questioning in relation to a graft investigation.<\/p>\n
\"The Attorney General's Office today (Friday) served summonses
\non Akbar Tandjung and former defense minister and Indonesian
\nMilitary commander Wiranto to appear at the office on Wednesday
\nfor questioning as witnesses over the use of Bulog non-budgetary
\nfunds,\" spokesman Muljohardjo said on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
Muljohardjo said Wiranto was expected to arrive at the office
\nfor questioning at 9.00 a.m., while Wiranto was slated to arrive
\nat 2.00 p.m.<\/p>\n
Muljohardjo said that Akbar and Wiranto would be questioned
\nover the suspected misuse of Rp 54 billion of State Logistics
\nAgency (Bulog) funds which were allegedly disbursed to them in
\n1999.<\/p>\n
The summons for Akbar, who is protected by legislatorial
\nimmunity, was only issued after the approval of President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri was obtained for the Attorney General's
\nOffice to question him over the matter.<\/p>\n
Akbar, however, said in Jakarta that he had not received the
\nsummons.<\/p>\n
\"When I receive the summons from the Attorney General's
\nOffice, I will be ready (for questioning). But I haven't received
\nit yet,\" he claimed.<\/p>\n
The House speaker said he had retained lawyers Hotman
\nSitompoel, Lawrence Siburian and Ruhut Sitompul to assist him in
\nthe case.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Attorney General AR Rachman said in the
\nNorth Sumatra capital of Medan that Akbar would be questioned as
\na witness. But, he added that Akbar's status could be changed to
\nthat of a suspect if there was sufficient evidence that he
\nmisused the funds.<\/p>\n
\"Whether he will be named as suspect or not will depend on the
\nresults of our investigation. But we have prima facie evidence,
\nincluding information from the former Bulog chief, Rahardi
\nRamelan,\" he added.<\/p>\n
According to the testimony given by Rahardi, already a suspect
\nin the Rp 54 billion graft case, Akbar received Rp 40 billion out
\nof a total of Rp 50 billion when he was the state secretary under
\nformer president BJ Habibie.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who is also chairman of the Golkar Party, the second
\nlargest party in the legislature, has been accused of unlawfully
\nusing the funds for Golkar Party electioneering purposes. He has,
\nhowever, denied the allegation saying that he channeled the money
\ninto the government's social safety net program (JPS).<\/p>\n
The other Rp 10 billion allegedly went to Wiranto who
\nreportedly used the money to cover the cost of the civilian
\nsecurity militia (Pamswakarsa) he was sponsoring.<\/p>\n
The remaining Rp 4 billion was used to pay compensation for
\nthe cancellation of the 1996 land swap deal between Bulog and
\nwholesale firm PT Goro Batara Sakti.<\/p>\n
The limelight is now firmly focused on Akbar, rather than
\nHabibie or Wiranto.<\/p>\n
Akbar has come under pressure from various parties, including
\nfrom inside his own party, to quit his positions in the party and
\nthe House.<\/p>\n
Some 40 rival politicians in the House have also filed a
\nmotion urging the House to establish a special committee to
\ninvestigate the suspected misuse of the Bulog funds.<\/p>\n
The House during its plenary session tasked the House steering
\ncommittee to decide whether such an investigative committee
\nshould be established or not.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ago-to-question-akbar-wiranto-on-wednesday-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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