Legislator sues Bulog chief for slander over scam<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) legislator Suko
\nSudarso filed a defamation suit against National Logistics Agency
\n(Bulog) chief Rizal Ramli with the National Police Headquarters
\non Tuesday over his accusation of the legislator's involvement in
\nthe Rp 35 billion (US$4.1 million) scam.<\/p>\n
\"Rizal has accused me of embezzling part of Rp 35 billion in
\nthe scam... I plan to sue him in both civil and criminal courts
\nand demand compensation for his slanderous statements,\" Suko,
\nalso deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party for
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan) Research and Development Department,
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
The scandal, which revolves around the disbursement of Rp 35
\nbillion from the Bulog employees-owned foundation Yanatera,
\nallegedly involves no less than the President's masseur, Suwondo.<\/p>\n
\"Rizal has spoiled my reputation... no, there is no way that
\nthe money from the scam was ever divided between PDI Perjuangan
\nmembers. It's all a big lie,\" Suko said.<\/p>\n
In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, former minister of
\nindustry and trade\/Bulog chief Yusuf Kalla was questioned over
\nhis alleged involvement in the scam by two Jakarta Police
\ndetectives at his house on Jl. Haji Bau No. 3 here on Tuesday
\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
During a 30-minute questioning at Jusuf's backyard which began
\naround 12 p.m., Maj. Joko and Capt. Aminullah asked six questions
\nto the former minister over the Bulog scam.<\/p>\n
Yusuf, who was accompanied by his lawyers Ali Abbas and Asmaun
\nAbbas, later told media that the police wanted to ask about the
\ndisbursement of the Rp 35 million Bulog fund.<\/p>\n
\"I told (the police) that I have no knowledge of what happened
\nbecause before the money was disbursed I rejected Sapuan's
\nrequest to cash in around Rp 10 billion of the Bulog fund,\" Jusuf
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Sapuan once came to me (when Yusuf was the Bulog chief) and
\nsaid that he had met with the President about the Bulog fund
\ndisbursement.<\/p>\n
\"Sapuan said the President had approved it, but since there
\nwas no official letter or written proof, I rejected the demand,\"
\nYusuf said.<\/p>\n
Sapuan said he has met with the President on Jan. 7 this year
\nand that the President wanted the money for humanitarian aid in
\nAceh, Yusuf said.<\/p>\n
\"Sapuan said the money was for Aceh. I said okay, as long as
\nthere is written proof and the party responsible for this money
\nis made clear. But since he failed to show me the official
\nletter, I did not approve the disbursement. This is quite a lot
\nof money and safety is important,\" Jusuf told media.<\/p>\n
\"It turned out that Sapuan disbursed around Rp 35 billion from
\nthe foundation fund. And I made it clear to the police that the
\naction was committed without my knowledge or approval,\" Yusuf
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Yusuf also said that he was contacted by Foreign Affairs
\nMinister Alwi Shihab on April 3.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Alwi asked me whether there was a Bulog fund disbursement
\nand for how much. He's the one who informed me about the matter,\"
\nYusuf said.<\/p>\n
The detectives refused to reveal the results of the
\nquestioning to media.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not authorized to do so and we will directly give the
\nresults to Jakarta,\" Maj. Joko told media.<\/p>\n
A day earlier in Jakarta, a lawyer for Bulog deputy chief
\nSapuan, one of the main suspects in the scandal, said he agreed
\nto disburse the funds because he believed he was acting under
\npresidential orders.<\/p>\n
\"Sapuan met with President Abdurrahman Wahid on Jan. 7, on
\nwhich date the President said he needed money totaling Rp 35
\nbillion for humanitarian aid in Aceh,\" Sapuan's lawyer Isnul
\nTandjung said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Later in the evening, Bondan Gunawan -- acting State Secretary
\nand Secretary of Government Supervision -- announced his
\nresignation, saying that he had nothing to do with the scam but
\nwas just being used as an intermediate target before the
\npresident.<\/p>\n
Bondan allegedly received some of the money. (27\/edt\/ylt)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislator-sues-bulog-chief-for-slander-over-scam-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }