House gets report on scandals<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After a series of intense lobbying, the House of
\nRepresentatives plenary session on Monday eventually received the
\nreport of the special House committee's investigation of two
\nfinancial scandals and officially dissolved the committee.<\/p>\n
The report on the Rp 35 billion (US$3.9 million) scandal at
\nthe State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and the $2 million donation
\nfrom the Sultan of Brunei, was handed over to the House
\nleadership by chairman of the special committee Bachtiar Chamsyah
\nin a closed-door session.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who presided over the plenary
\nsession, said copies of the report would be made available to all
\nHouse factions and legislators and that the factions would
\npresent their positions in a plenary session on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The House will decide whether to accept or reject the report
\nin the plenary session and the factions will also present their
\nevaluations of the special committee's financial account and the
\nway the investigation has been carried out,\" Akbar said after the
\nmeeting.<\/p>\n
He said the report was received after the House secured
\napproval from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction.<\/p>\n
Secretary of PKB faction, Abdul Khaliq Achmad, said his
\nfaction accepted the report with a reservation that the special
\ncommittee would present its monthly reports and the financial
\nreport of the four-month investigation.<\/p>\n
\"Our faction will sue those who are believed to have leaked
\nthe results of the committee's investigation to the press,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The session was marked by the walkout of PKB legislators Ali
\nMasjkur Musa, Radjil Gufron, Sri Oetari, Effendi Choirie and Ali
\nAs'ad after learning that their protest had gained no response.<\/p>\n
\"The special committee and the House leadership did not listen
\nto our faction's objections over the violations,\" said Ali
\nMasjkur Musa, another member of the PKB faction.<\/p>\n
House factions had to caucus in three lobbying sessions when
\nthe plenary session failed to reach consensus over the disputed
\ninvestigation procedures.<\/p>\n
The session was interrupted twice when the PKB faction and
\nseveral legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan) challenged the lawfulness of the
\ncommittee.<\/p>\n
Ali As'ad, a PKB legislator and legislators Dimyati Hartono
\nand Panda Nababan of the PDI Perjuangan faction, interrupted the
\nmeeting because the special committee failed to give the House
\nleadership its monthly reports as required by the House's
\ninternal rules and because the investigation results had been
\nleaked to the press.<\/p>\n
Only half an hour after the opening of the session at 9:30
\na.m., House speaker Akbar Tandjung had to suspend the meeting
\nbecause many of the legislators, especially from PKB, interrupted
\nthe session claiming that the committee was illegal.<\/p>\n
House leaders then lobbied chairpersons of House factions to
\nlet Bachtiar Chamsyah, chairman of the committee, give an opening
\nstatement and submit the written report.<\/p>\n
However, when the plenary session was about to resume at about
\n12 p.m., the PKB faction asked for permission to hold an internal
\nmeeting and the session was suspended again.<\/p>\n
Around 1:30 p.m. the legislators reentered the plenary hall,
\nbut this time four PKB legislators had their microphones on so
\nthe House speaker could not use his to open the session. The
\nsession was adjourned again.<\/p>\n
Afterwards, Deputy House speaker Muhaimin Iskandar said the
\ncommittee had violated procedures and claimed that some PDI
\nPerjuangan legislators had similar views.<\/p>\n
\"I held a meeting last night (Sunday night) with several PDI
\nPerjuangan members to discuss the procedural problem of the
\nspecial committee,\" Muhaimin told journalists.<\/p>\n
Legislators of other factions, however, disagreed with the PKB
\nfaction, \"PDI Perjuangan's stance is to let the committee submit
\nthe results and then on Feb. 1 we (legislators) will decide,\" PDI
\nPerjuangan faction secretary Pramono Anung said.<\/p>\n
Ferry Mursyidan Baldan from Golkar Party said that the House
\nshould accept the results then announce its decision on Feb. 1.<\/p>\n
Earlier, legislator Mochtar Buchori from PDI Perjuangan said
\nthe party's chairperson, Megawati Soekarnoputri, had ordered the
\nfaction to stick with the findings, but should not declare Gus
\nDur guilty.<\/p>\n
However, Mochtar said that PDI Perjuangan would issue a strong
\nwarning over the President's leadership style.<\/p>\n
When asked whether the warning should be in the form of a
\nmemorandum, Mochtar said: \"Yes, I think so.\" (dja\/rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-gets-report-on-scandals-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}