Farikha to report Rusdihardjo over defamation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Siti Farikha, a Semarang-based businesswoman who
\nis closely related with the multibillion rupiah State Logistics
\nAgency (Bulog) scandal, is planning to report former police chief
\nGen. Rusdihardjo to the National Police Headquarters for alleged
\ndefamation.<\/p>\n
Farikha's lawyer Indra Sahnun Lubis told reporters on Friday
\nthat Rusdihardjo had wrongfully accused his client of having
\nreceived Rp 5 billion from President Abdurrahman Wahid which was
\nallegedly taken from Bulog.<\/p>\n
"Bu Farikha has a document which can prove that she got the
\nmoney from (businessman) Aris Junaidi. Rusdihardjo should be able
\nto prove his statement which said that Bu Farikha had received
\nthe money from Gus Dur," Indra said while referring to the
\nPresident by his nickname.<\/p>\n
A special committee which was set up by the House of
\nRepresentatives to investigate the scandal held a hearing to
\nlisten to Rusdihardjo's statement on the case on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Media reports said that during the hearing, Rusdihardjo
\ntestified that Farikha had received a Rp 5 billion check from Gus
\nDur and said that he had been asked by Gus Dur to create a
\nscenario as if Farikha had received the fund from Aris.<\/p>\n
Siti returned the money to the police soon after the scandal
\nmade headlines in April.<\/p>\n
Aris himself admitted earlier to having received the money
\nfrom the President's masseur Alip Agung Suwondo, a prime suspect
\nin the case, but said he had no idea if the money was part of the
\nRp 35 billion fund taken from Bulog's employees foundation,
\nYanatera.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Indra said Rusdihardjo might have made the statement
\nbefore the committee because he had hard feelings toward Gus Dur
\nas the President had replaced him in September after being in his
\nposition for only nine months.<\/p>\n
"Rusdihardjo has also been contaminated by politics," Indra
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Indra said that the committee had been doing the investigation
\nonly to prove that Gus Dur had been involved in the case instead
\nof finding the truth.<\/p>\n
The lawyer also said that the establishment of the committee
\nhad been illegal.<\/p>\n
"Article 2 and 3 of the Law No. 6\/1954 stipulate that such a
\ncommittee should be listed in the state documents. I checked it
\nand the committee was not listed," Indra said.<\/p>\n
Separately, National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said
\nhe would not respond to media reports on Rusdihardjo's statement
\nbefore the committee, calling the reports unofficial.<\/p>\n
"The hearing was supposed to be a closed one. We'll respond to
\nhis (Rusdihardjo's statement) only if the special committee gives
\nus an official recommendation," Bimantoro told reporters at the
\nNational Police Headquarters.<\/p>\n
When contacted by The Jakarta Post by phone on Thursday,
\nRusdihardjo did not confirm or deny the media reports saying that
\nnone of his statements before the committee should be made
\npublic. (jaw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/farikha-to-report-rusdihardjo-over-defamation-1447893297",
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