Beddu questioned over Bulog scam<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The former chairman of the State Logistics
\nAgency (Bulog) Beddu Amang appeared on Thursday at the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office to face questioning as a suspect in a corruption
\ncase linked to the youngest son of former president Soeharto,
\nHutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala Putra.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors posed around 40 questions during the nine-hour
\nsession which focused on Beddu's role in a Rp 95.4 billion (some
\nUS$11 million) land exchange deal with wholesaler PT Goro Batara
\nSakti in 1995, which had caused losses of around Rp 76.7 million
\nto the state.<\/p>\n
Beddu's lawyer Amir Syamsuddin said the questions were similar
\nto those posed during the investigation last year, but in more
\ndetail.<\/p>\n
\"The questioning was only to complete the dossiers and to
\nlisten to my client's explanation about some documents obtained
\nby the prosecutors,\" Amir told journalists.<\/p>\n
The case had actually gone to court last year with two other
\ndefendents Tommy and executive of PT Goro, Ricardo Gelael,
\nalready sentenced to 18-months jail each.<\/p>\n
However the case against Beddu was dismissed by the South
\nJakarta district court on the grounds that the indictment was
\nincomplete and that formal permission had not been obtained from
\nthe President to prosecute Beddu who at the time was still a
\nmember of the People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors at the time charged that Beddu a day after being
\nappointed Bulog chief in 1995, signed a memorandum of
\nunderstanding with private firm PT Sekar Artha Sentosa, of which
\nhe is also president, for a land exchange deal involving a Bulog
\nplot and warehouses in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Beddu had justified the transaction on the grounds that the
\nwarehouse complex which is located near the Kelapa Gading housing
\ncomplex was no longer feasible.<\/p>\n
The Bulog land was to be exchanged with a 150 hectare plot in
\nMarunda, North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
However Beddu then allegedly sent a letter to then finance
\nminister Mari'e Muhammad stating the exchange would take place
\nwith PT Goro adding that then president Soeharto personally
\nrequested the land swap.<\/p>\n
Tommy is commissioner of PT Goro.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors had also alleged that Beddu had approved a Rp 23
\nbillion payment to Bank Bukopin which was used by Tommy and
\nRicardo to secure a Rp 20 billion loan to buy part of the Marunda
\nland which at the time still belonged to businessman Hokiarto.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors also claimed that Beddu himself used Rp 32 billion
\nof the agency's money to purchase another part of the Marunda
\nland.<\/p>\n
Coming out of Thursday's questioning at about 7:15 p.m., an
\nexhausted looking Beddu tried to avoid journalists saying only
\nthat questioning would continue next week.<\/p>\n
\"The prosecutors gave me another day for the questioning
\nbecause I'm tired,\" he said before leaving the compound.(bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/beddu-questioned-over-bulog-scam-1447893297",
"image": ""
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