Court hears Abdurrahman's testimony in 'Buloggate'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The written testimony of President Abdurrahman
\n\"Gus Dur\" Wahid about the Rp 35 billion Bulog scandal was again
\nread out in court on Thursday, this time in the trial of his
\nformer masseur.<\/p>\n
Before reading the testimony, prosecutor Nulis Sembiring
\ninformed the North Jakarta District Court that they had received
\na reply from the presidential secretary dated last Friday, saying
\nthat the President could not be present in the court due to his
\nbusy schedule.<\/p>\n
The defendant in the trial is Alip Agung Suwondo, alias An
\nPeng Sui, who is charged with defrauding the State Logistics
\nAgency (Bulog) of Rp 35 billion.<\/p>\n
Suwondo had claimed that the money had been withdrawn from the
\nemployees' foundation of the agency, Yanatera, at the request of
\nGus Dur.<\/p>\n
Police investigations revealed that Suwondo had introduced
\nhimself to former Bulog deputy chief Sapuan as Gus Dur's trustee.
\nSapuan then reimbursed the money early last year in the belief
\nthat it was for humanitarian aid in the troubled province Aceh.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors had read out Gus Dur's testimony, which was given
\nto the police in June last year, during Sapuan's trial at the
\nSouth Jakarta District Court, after informing the judges that the
\nPresident's attendance was unnecessary.<\/p>\n
Sapuan was later sentenced to two years in jail for abusing
\nhis power in embezzling Yanatera funds. He has appealed to a
\nhigher court.<\/p>\n
In the written testimony, the President told the police at the
\npresidential palace that, during a meeting on Jan. 7, 2000, he
\nand Sapuan discussed the possibility of using some of Bulog's Rp
\n370 billion nonbudgetary funds for humanitarian aid in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur testified that he then abandoned the plan when he was
\ntold that a presidential decree was required.<\/p>\n
\"So I told him there was no need to go ahead, since it would
\ntake too much time,\" he stated.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur emphasized that it was not he who arranged the meeting
\nand that he knew nothing about the Rp 35 billion withdrawn from
\nYanatera. He also denied ordering Suwondo to obtain the money
\nfrom Sapuan.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office stated on Monday that there was
\nnot enough evidence to prove Gus Dur's involvement in the case.<\/p>\n
The court also heard the testimony of public notary Ali
\nMaksum, who had issued a certificate for Suwondo's 100 hectare
\nlandholding at Sinar Galih, West Java.<\/p>\n
He testified that he did not know how Suwondo had obtained the
\nmoney to buy the land, which, according to the prosecutor, was
\nbought using Yanatera's funds.<\/p>\n
Yanatera executive chairman Mulyono Makmur, who was scheduled
\nto testify on Thursday, failed to appear for the third time.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Suwardi refused the prosecutor's request to
\nhear Mulyono's written testimony, saying that he was a key
\nwitness and should therefore testify in court.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office named Mulyono last week as a
\nsuspect in the graft case, together with the foundation's
\ntreasurer Yacob Ishak.<\/p>\n
Separately, the office's spokesman Muljohardjo encouraged
\nlegislators to file reports to his office on corruption cases,
\nincluding the alleged scandal involving projects of the state oil
\nand gas company Pertamina.<\/p>\n
He was referring on a statement made by deputy chairman of the
\nNational Awakening faction (PKB) Chatibul Umam Wiranu, during a
\nplenary session on Wednesday, when he accused the People's
\nConsultative Assembly deputy speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita and
\nHouse of Representatives member Arifin Panigoro, of involvement
\nin corruption.<\/p>\n
Chatibul said that Ginandjar, from the Golkar faction, had
\ntaken Rp 555 billion from a project with the U.S. oil company
\nCaltex when he was a minister of mines and energy, and Arifin,
\nhead of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-
\nPerjuangan) faction had embezzled Rp 211 billion in a project
\nwith his company Medco.(bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/court-hears-abdurrahmans-testimony-in-buloggate-1447893297",
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