Anticlimactic ending in Sukhoi inquiry<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives' inquiry into the highly publicized
\nand controversial Russian jet fighter purchase reached an
\nanticlimax on Thursday with just a call for penalties against
\nthose involved in the scandal.<\/p>\n
The House investigating committee which was initially
\noptimistic about successfully investigating the scandal, could
\nnot reveal the alleged irregularities in the US$192.6 million
\ndeal and even harvested criticism on the way it carried out the
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
Many sides, including the national press, questioned the
\nauthority of the House when the committee refused to allow
\nseveral ministers and related officials to accompany Minister of
\nIndustry and Trade Rini M.S. Suwandi to give a clarification
\nabout the countertrade deal.<\/p>\n
\"We agree not to define penalties because it's not our
\nresponsibility,\" inquiry committee chairman Ibrahim Ambong said
\nin the committee's final meeting to close its two-month
\ninvestigation here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The committee also recommended that the government regulate
\ncountertrade procedures in order to avoid irregularities in such
\ndeals with foreign countries in the future.<\/p>\n
The atmosphere in the meeting was said to be not as intense as
\nit was in the past. Djoko Susilo, one of 20 committee members
\nattending the closed door meeting left the meeting without giving
\nany comments to the press.<\/p>\n
The House had asserted there were irregularities in the deal
\nbecause the Ministry of Defense was not involved in the arms
\npurchase while a small part of the deal was paid in advance from
\nthe National Logistics Agency (Bulog) and state-owned Bukopin
\nBank, instead of the 2003 state budget.<\/p>\n
Several legislators said the meeting became tense when
\nlegislators were at odds about what recommendations should be
\nissued from the investigation.<\/p>\n
Happy Bone Zulkarnaen of the Golkar Party faction said that
\nsome factions proposed questioning President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri to get a clear explanation about the deal but many
\nother factions, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan), opposed it.<\/p>\n
Effendi Choirie, the committee deputy chairman, admitted that
\nhis National Awakening Party (PKB) faction was among those that
\nsuggested the House question the President.<\/p>\n
\"This is a political struggle. We can not force others to
\naccept our proposal,\" Choirie added.<\/p>\n
Asked about government officials who were allegedly involved
\nin the scandal, Effendi said that they were Minister Rini M.S.
\nSuwandi, Indonesian Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono
\nSutarto, and State Logistics Agency (Bulog) chief Widjanarko
\nPuspoyo.<\/p>\n
Ambong said that a 24-page report on the investigation would
\nbe brought soon to a meeting of the House defense commission for
\napproval.<\/p>\n
After a series of hearings with a number of high-powered
\ngovernment officials as well as businessmen, the inquiry
\ncommittee concluded that the purchase of the four Sukhoi jet
\nfighters and two MI-35 assault helicopters was not in line with
\nthe state budget and defense laws.<\/p>\n
The deal was signed during President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\nvisit to Russia in April. All four warplanes which were delivered
\nlast week and early this week are still being assembled at the
\nAir Force Air Base in Madiun, East Java.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/anticlimactic-ending-in-sukhoi-inquiry-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}