House probe into two scandals 'illegal'<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid struck back at the
\nHouse of Representatives (DPR) on Friday saying that its probes
\ninto two financial scandals allegedly linked to him were
\n\"illegal\".<\/p>\n
\"DPR has formed illegal special committees,\" Abdurrahman said
\nafter Friday prayers at the State Audit Agency's Baitul Hasib
\nmosque near the House complex.<\/p>\n
He said none of the special commissions formed by the House
\nwere registered at the state secretariat as required by a 1954
\nlaw, which stipulates that such committees should be listed in
\nstate gazettes.<\/p>\n
A special House commission is seeking to question Abdurrahman
\nabout the fraudulent withdrawal of Rp 35 billion (US$ 3.9) from
\nthe National Logistics Agency (Bulog) by his masseur, and about
\nthe disposition of US$ 2 million donated by the Sultan of Brunei
\nthat the President claimed was a personal gift.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman stated earlier that he would not appear at the
\nHouse to explain the two cases. Allegations that he was
\nimplicated in the scandals have been seized on by his critics in
\nthe House to step up calls for his resignation.<\/p>\n
The President's remarks immediately aroused heated reactions
\nfrom House members, lawyers and political analysts.<\/p>\n
Some said that the President's remarks were \"unwise\" and
\n\"illogical\". Others said Gus Dur, as the President is often
\ncalled, was in a panic and the remarks were a defensive maneuver.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung questioned the motive of the
\nPresident to make such a statement.<\/p>\n
\"Why did he question the legality of the committee now. Why
\ndid he not question its legality when the committee was first
\nestablished,\" Akbar, also chairman of Golkar party, said.<\/p>\n
He said the substance of the committees was more important
\nthan the question of the legality of the committees as required
\nby Law No. 6\/1954 on inquiry rights.<\/p>\n
\"But we will look at the law,\" Akbar added.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the committee probing the scandals, Bachtiar
\nChamsyah, insisted that the establishment of the committee was
\nlegal since it was set up by the House's plenary session.<\/p>\n
\"The President's statement was not wise. It's illogical,\"
\nBachtiar of the United Development Party (PPP), said.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights
\nAssociation (PBHI) Hendardi said that the President was just
\nattempting to defend himself.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur's statement was just a defensive maneuver against
\nbeing persistently hounded by politicians in the House,\" he said
\nas quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Board of the Center for Information and
\nDevelopment Studies (CIDES) Indria Samego said that Gus Dur's
\nstatement was his way to avoid something by making use of legal
\nfactors.<\/p>\n
\"This is just part of Gus Dur's misdirection,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A member of the committee, Julius Usman, believed that the
\nPresident was actually in a panic due to the growing reports
\nalleging he is linked to the scandals.<\/p>\n
\"If the committee is illegal, then the House is illegal. If
\nthat is so, then the President is illegal, too,\" Julius said.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman also claimed that investigations into
\nthe scandals had led \"two foreign statesmen,\" whom he did not
\nname, to believe his days were numbered.<\/p>\n
\"Because of that, Indonesia's relations with other countries
\nare strained,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman lashed out last week at Singapore's Senior
\nMinister Lee Kuan Yew after the elder statesman allegedly said
\nthat Abdurrahman's term in office would soon end.<\/p>\n
But a Singapore foreign ministry spokesman denied in a
\nstatement on Wednesday that Lee had ever publicly criticized
\nAbdurrahman or said the days of his government were numbered.<\/p>\n
In apparent reference to former National Police chief Gen.
\nRusdihardjo, Abdurrahman also lashed out on Friday at \"a police
\nofficer\" who had testified before the House special committee
\nearlier this week.<\/p>\n
\"This police officer has handed over documents (on the Bulog
\nscandal) to the House ... this is a breach of the law because the
\ndocuments should only be given to the Attorney General's
\nOffice ... to be then submitted to the court,\" Abdurrahman said.<\/p>\n
Press reports said that Rusdihardjo revealed information
\nbefore the House special committee implicating Gus Dur in the
\nscandal. (byg\/jun\/bby\/01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-probe-into-two-scandals-illegal-1447893297",
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