Bob Hasan detained over scandal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Timber tycoon Mohamad "Bob" Hasan was detained
\nat the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday after formally being
\nnamed a suspect in a US$87 million corruption scandal.<\/p>\n
Chaerul Imam, the director of corruption affairs at the
\nAttorney General's Office, said a warrant had been issued to
\ndetain Bob Hasan for 20 days for questioning in connection with a
\ngovernment contract to map out Indonesia's forestry resources.<\/p>\n
Bob Hasan is a suspect in the government's investigation into
\nthe alleged embezzlement of the government's massive
\nreforestation fund.<\/p>\n
"We named Bob Hasan a suspect after questioning two others who
\nrevealed his role in the case," Chaerul told journalists in a
\nhastily called news conference after questioning the tycoon.<\/p>\n
After seven hours of questioning, Bob Hasan did not leave the
\nAttorney General's Office compound on Jl. Sisingamangaraja. He
\nwas instead sent to a detention cell in the office complex.<\/p>\n
The case relates to a contract the then forestry ministry
\nawarded to Bob Hasan, who once chaired the Indonesian Forest
\nConcessionaires Association (APHI), to perform aerial mapping and
\nairborne radar imaging of the country's forestry resources in
\n1997.<\/p>\n
The $87 million contract was carried out by PT Mapindo Parma
\nand the money was paid out of the government's reforestation
\nfund.<\/p>\n
However, the Ministry of Forestry and Plantation last month
\nreported irregularities in the mapping results, saying the
\ntechniques used were obsolete, uneconomical and did not live up
\nto value of the contract.<\/p>\n
Bob Hasan, who briefly served as minister of industry and
\ntrade in 1998, has been questioned by the Attorney General's
\nOffice since February over the case.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by his secretary Andi Darussalam, the golf-buddy
\nof former president Soeharto said he had no objections to being
\nnamed a suspect in the corruption investigation.<\/p>\n
"I must comply with the legal procedures," he said after the
\nquestioning. "Besides, this is a state based on law," he added.<\/p>\n
Bob Hasan has disclosed on other occasions that government
\ninvestigators have also questioned him about corruption cases
\ninvolving Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office has summoned the former
\npresident to appear on Thursday and answer questions regarding
\nthe management of billions of dollars of funds belonging to
\ncharitable foundations which he chaired.<\/p>\n
Attorney General's Office spokesman Soehandoyo told The
\nJakarta Post that Bob Hasan did not have a lawyer as of Tuesday
\nnight.<\/p>\n
"We will ask him about this," he said, adding that questioning
\nwould continue on Wednesday. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bob-hasan-detained-over-scandal-1447893297",
"image": ""
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