Bulog scandal is criminal case despite fund return: Police<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A Cabinet minister, a senior police officer and
\nseveral experts have said the State Logistics Agency's (Bulog) Rp
\n35 billion scandal is a criminal case, not a civil one, although
\nmost of the suspected parties involved have returned the stolen
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
Contacted separately over the weekend, the sources said
\nsuspects in the high-profile case allegedly swindled the fund
\nfrom the Bulog worker's foundation Yanatera and therefore would
\nbe charged with being involved in a criminal case.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said the return of Rp 10
\nbillion by Suwondo, the main suspect, to Yanatera though his
\nwife, Teti Nursetiati, was done because the case contained
\nelements which could be included in a civil case.<\/p>\n
Several parties in this case, he said, had made formal
\nagreements about the fund.<\/p>\n
\"(But still) this case is purely a criminal case,\" Marzuki
\ntold The Jakarta Post on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Outgoing city police chief of detectives Col. Alex Bambang
\nRiatmodjo said the scandal might possess elements of a civil
\ncase, but it is still a criminal case.<\/p>\n
\"The police have been investigating this case based on Law No.
\n31\/1999 on the eradication of corruption,\" Alex said.<\/p>\n
\"The suspects of this case can return all of the funds, but
\nthat does not mean this case will turn into a civil case. It is
\nstill a criminal case.\"<\/p>\n
Article 4 of the Law states that the return of the missing
\nstate funds does not eradicate the criminal acts committed by the
\ncriminals.<\/p>\n
Article 2 of the Law stipulates that those found guilty of
\nhaving enriched themselves by causing a loss in state funds could
\nbe punished with a life sentence or 20 years in jail plus a
\nmaximum fine of Rp 1 billion.<\/p>\n
The funds were reported to have ended up in the accounts of
\nclose associates of Suwondo, a masseur of President Abdurrahman
\nWahid.<\/p>\n
The police have named three suspects in the scandal: Suwondo,
\nformer Bulog deputy chairman Sapuan and Yanatera chairman
\nMulyono.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur<\/p>\n
In a recent meeting with the Indonesian community in New York
\nduring his official trip overseas, the President said he had no
\nidea about the Rp 35 billion loss in Bulog funds and added that
\nthe case was \"a civil case of lending and borrowing\".<\/p>\n
\"According to the police, it is (a case) of lending and
\nborrowing on a civil basis. Suwondo has returned Rp 10 billion or
\nsomething like that,\" Abdurrahman reportedly said.<\/p>\n
Separately, City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said on
\nMonday that the police will go on with its plan to summon
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid for questioning as a witness over the
\nBulog scam soon after his return from his official visit abroad.<\/p>\n
\"We have discussed the matter and I think Bapak President
\nwould have no problems (to meet the police summon),\" Nurfaizi
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
Nurfaizi said he had sent the letter to summon the President
\nto National Police Chief Gen. Rusdihardjo.<\/p>\n
He said that his office has not yet named the date for the
\nquestioning, saying that the decision would depend on his
\nsuperior, Gen. Rusdihardjo.<\/p>\n
The police had cleared the President from the scandal but they
\nstill need to question him to clarify the matter.<\/p>\n
Rusdihardjo said on Saturday that police would firstly let the
\nPresident rest for, say, three of four days, after his arrival
\nbefore sending the summons.<\/p>\n
\"The President is an old man, too,\" Rusdihardjo said as quoted
\nby Kompas.<\/p>\n
The President is scheduled to return home on Wednesday from
\nEgypt.<\/p>\n
The coordinator of the independent watchdog Indonesian
\nCorruption Watch, Teten Masduki, said the police must investigate
\nthis case according to Law No. 31\/1999 and the courts must treat
\nthe case as a criminal one despite the return of embezzled funds.<\/p>\n
\"This is a criminal case,\" Teten said.<\/p>\n
Agreeing to the comment, lawyer Henry Yosodiningrat said the
\nreturn of funds did not mean that the suspects could go free.<\/p>\n
\"That is against the law. The return of the funds does not
\nmean that the criminals should be allowed to go free,\" Henry
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"A crime has been committed. The suspects must go through the
\ndue process of law in the Indonesian courts.\"<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police detectives have collected money and seized
\nproperty totaling about Rp 30 billion.<\/p>\n
Besides the Rp 10 billion from Suwondo's wife, the police have
\nalso recovered Rp 5 billion in cash from Siti Farika, a Central
\nJava-based businesswoman who is known to have close ties to the
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
Suko Sudarso, an executive of the Indonesian Democratic Party
\nof Struggle, has returned a title deed for some property in West
\nJava, which he said was purchased by Suwondo for Rp 15 billion.<\/p>\n
The remaining Rp 5 billion went to Leo Purnomo, reportedly
\nfrom Air Wagon (AWAIR) air freight company, whose whereabouts,
\nsuch as Suwondo's, are also unknown. (ylt\/08\/07)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bulog-scandal-is-criminal-case-despite-fund-return-police-1447893297",
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