Akbar's detention schocks Golkar Party<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In the wake of mounting public pressure, the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office detained House of Representatives Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung over graft allegations on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who chairs the Golkar Party, was supposed to be
\nincarcerated at Salemba penitentiary in Central Jakarta, but was
\nmoved to a cell in the Attorney General's Office compound for
\nsecurity reasons, the office's spokesman Barman Zahir said.<\/p>\n
"The detention is aimed at expediting the investigation into
\nAkbar," Barman told a media conference.<\/p>\n
Controversy had shrouded the alleged scam, in which Akbar was
\nalleged to have misused Rp 40 billion of funds belonging to the
\nState Logistics Agency (Bulog) for food for the poor in 1999.
\nHowever, no arrest nor travel ban were imposed on him even after
\ninvestigators could not find that food distribution had been
\ncarried out.<\/p>\n
Akbar was minister\/state secretary when the program was said
\nto have taken place.<\/p>\n
The investigation had also raised eyebrows as another suspect
\nin the case, the former Bulog chairman and minister of trade and
\nindustry, was detained at the Cipinang penitentiary.<\/p>\n
Also detained on Thursday night were two other suspects,
\nDadang Sukandar, chairman of the Raudatul Jannah Foundation which
\nAkbar had picked to conduct the charity program, and contractor
\nof the project Winfried Simatupang.<\/p>\n
One of Akbar's confidants, Hafiz Zawawi, said Akbar had signed
\nthe dossiers relating to his arrest at 11 p.m., after around six
\nhours of negotiation.<\/p>\n
"Akbar has complied with the law and has asked his party
\nexecutives, in their legal efforts, to observe the law and
\nrefrain from tarnishing the party's image," Hafiz, a Golkar
\nlegislator, said.<\/p>\n
Hafiz's statement contradicted the fact that Akbar had refused
\nto sign the documents just after the questioning ended earlier in
\nthe afternoon.<\/p>\n
An upset-looking Akbar canceled a media conference and tried
\nto drive away with his bodyguards, one of them asking an employee
\nof the Attorney General's Office to open the gate.<\/p>\n
The compound gate was blocked by military police trucks and
\nAkbar returned to the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
Due to the apparent resistance, security troops prevented both
\nemployees of the office and outsiders from leaving or entering
\nthe compound.<\/p>\n
During the negotiations, 120 members of the Golkar faction at
\nthe House offered their personal guarantee to persuade the
\nAttorney General's Office to place Akbar under city or house
\narrest.<\/p>\n
Akbar reportedly called President Megawati Soekarnoputri to
\nseek her help.<\/p>\n
One of Akbar's lawyers, Tommy Sihotang, denied the reports and
\nsaid no deal had been made between his client and the President.<\/p>\n
He said Akbar did not perceive any political motive behind his
\narrest.<\/p>\n
The arrest was made hours after the House had agreed to delay
\nuntil March 18 a vote to decide on whether a special committee of
\ninquiry into Akbar's role in the scandal should be formed.<\/p>\n
Akbar's detention also came a day after four members of
\nthe Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) met
\nwith party chairwoman Megawati, who hinted at her approval of
\nAkbar's detention.<\/p>\n
"Megawati said that the Attorney General must not be
\ndiscriminatory in enforcing the law. Everybody should be treated
\nequally before the law," one of the legislators, Dwi Riya Latifa,
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Latifa, along with Amien Aryoso, Panda Nababan and Agustin
\nTeras Narang, went to Megawati's residence on Jl. Teuku Umar on
\nWednesday night to submit the draft of the PDI Perjuangan
\nfaction's stance to be presented at the House plenary session.<\/p>\n
Megawati has repeatedly revealed her preference for a legal
\nprocess rather than a political process in the House, which could
\nlead to a no-confidence vote against Akbar.<\/p>\n
Despite his status as a suspect in the scam, Akbar has refused
\nto step down from his position as the speaker of the House, one
\nof the highest state institutions in the country. He has argued
\nthat in compliance with the principle in Indonesia of presuming
\nsomeone to be innocent, being a suspect does not mean he is
\nproven guilty.<\/p>\n
Golkar, under Akbar's leadership, has also dismissed the
\ndemand for Akbar's resignation, saying that there are no rules or
\nregulations stipulating that being a suspect should prevent an
\nofficial from retaining his post.<\/p>\n
Progress of Akbar's graft case<\/p>\n
Oct. 8, 2001: Akbar implicated in a Rp 54.6 billion
\nBulog fund scandal<\/p>\n
Jan. 7, 2002: Akbar declared a suspect<\/p>\n
Feb. 5, 2002: Akbar's first questioning as a suspect<\/p>\n
Feb. 11, 2002: Akbar's second questioning<\/p>\n
March 7, 2002: Akbar's third questioning,
\nAkbar detained at the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>",
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