BNI scam may lead to political war<\/p>\n
Dadan Wijaksana and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
While at first it was deemed solely a run-of-the-mill scam
\nconfined to the banking sector, the Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI)
\nscandal has now taken on a political dimension, which could lead
\nto a brutal political war ahead of the 2004 elections, a top
\npolitical analyst said.<\/p>\n
Ikrar Nusa Bakti, a researcher at the Indonesian Institute of
\nSciences (LIPI), said on Tuesday that if recent responses to the
\nwhole affair were any indication, the case was being used by one
\nparty to discredit another, with no side bothering to fix the
\nroot of the problem itself -- corruption.<\/p>\n
\"We should not let the leaders of parties make use of these
\ncorruption cases to increase their bargaining position, or as
\ntools to attack and destroy other parties.<\/p>\n
\"If this happens, the outcome will be a political compromise,
\nnot a legal solution,\" Ikrar told The Jakarta Post, adding that
\nit would further deteriorate public confidence in political
\nparties.<\/p>\n
\"I think we should all wait for the police investigation to
\nfinish. Anyone who is found guilty -- be it businessmen, state
\nofficials or politicians -- then they must be punished,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
He was responding to rising reports linking the massive loan
\nscam with efforts by a political party to rake in as much cash as
\npossible for their election campaigns next year.<\/p>\n
This week allegations have been reported that the case could
\ninvolve one of the top presidential candidates associated with
\nthe Golkar party, the country's second largest. Chairman Akbar
\nTandjung was the first to come out and clearly state he was not
\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
However, many local media groups have reportedly alleged that
\nCoordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, Gen.(ret)
\nWiranto, businessman Fadel Mohammad could have received funds
\nfrom people involved in the case. While Fadel serves as one of
\nGolkar's treasurers, Kalla and Wiranto are two of the party's
\nseven presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
No clear evidence has been made official by the police so far,
\nbut that has not stopped the flow of unofficial allegations.<\/p>\n
Smita Notosusanto, director of Center for Electoral Reform
\n(Cetro) agreed that the current trend in the BNI scandal could
\nlead to a fierce political war ahead of the elections.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, this kind of thing also happened in the past
\nelection. This is mostly because there is no clear regulation on
\nfund-raising mechanisms for political parties,\" Smita said.<\/p>\n
While many welcomed the revelations, some also questioned why
\nthe BNI case was unveiled at relatively the same time with the
\nemergence of reports of suspicious transactions involving one of
\nthe sons of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who also chairs the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
Megawati's son is close to winning a no-bid contract to build
\nhousing complex on state land in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, a
\nsenior member of PDI-Perjuangan, has asked the police to press
\nahead with its investigations, hinting at his disappointment over
\nthe police's seriousness in cracking down on the BNI case.<\/p>\n
Such speculation and intrigue has given rise to suggestions
\nthat the current trend could be a political tit-for-tat between
\nmajor parties.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said on
\nTuesday that the police had blocked 29 bank accounts belonging to
\ncompanies and individuals linked to the Rp 1.7 trillion BNI loan
\nscandal.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a hearing with House of Representatives'
\nCommission II for security, law and home affairs, Da'i
\nsaid that the national police had also confiscated US$238,000 in
\ncash and documents relating to the case. The Police had also
\ndetained eight people so far.<\/p>\n
Da'i added that his investigators had so far found no
\nindication of a connection between the BNI scandal and the seven
\nGolkar presidential candidates.<\/p>",
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