Legislators reluctant to question Akbar<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Fears that legislators in the House of Representatives would not
\nbe serious about investigating corruption allegations against
\nHouse Speaker Akbar Tandjung became a reality on Monday, when
\nonly 49 of the 500 House members showed up on time for the
\nplenary meeting convened to hear justifications offered by 50
\nlegislators on the urgency of setting up an inquiry team to
\ninvestigate the Golkar chairman.<\/p>\n
The poor showing, which clearly demonstrated the legislators'
\nreluctance to investigate Akbar, a suspect in a Rp 40 billion
\nfinancial scandal involving State Logistics Agency (Bulog),
\nprompted House Deputy Speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) to delay
\nthe plenary meeting for 30 minutes.<\/p>\n
Monday's plenary meeting was originally scheduled to start at
\n9 a.m., but at 9:02 a.m., only 49 legislators were present in the
\nplenary hall.<\/p>\n
When Soetardjo eventually opened the meeting at 9:30 a.m.,
\nonly 254 legislators were around, barely enough for a quorum of
\n250, or half of the total 500 legislators in the House.<\/p>\n
Speaking on behalf of the 50 legislators who filed the
\npetition to set up an inquiry team, Tari Siwi Utami of the
\nNational Awakening Party said that an inquiry committee was
\ndefinitely needed to unravel the alleged misappropriation of the
\nBulog money.<\/p>\n
The 10-page explanation does not mention Akbar's name or other
\nfigures who had been declared suspects in this scandal by the
\nAttorney General's Office. It only mentions former president B.J.
\nHabibie who ordered then Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan to release
\nRp 54.6 billion.<\/p>\n
\"The misappropriation allegedly involves former government
\nofficials and businessmen, ignoring existing procedures and using
\nthe social safety net program for justification,\" Tari said.<\/p>\n
Rahardi, the prime suspect in the Rp 54.6 billion scandal,
\nalleged that Akbar received Rp 40 billion of the funds. Akbar
\nadmitted \"receiving\" the funds, but insisted that the funds were
\ndirectly channeled to a little-known foundation.<\/p>\n
While the meeting was going on in the plenary hall, dozens of
\nAkbar's supporters belonging to the Movement of Reform Fighters,
\nor Gempur, protested outside the legislative complex, rejecting
\nmoves by House members to investigate Akbar.<\/p>\n
At around 1:15 p.m., hundreds of students arrived at the front
\ngate of the compound, demanding House members to form a special
\ninquiry team.<\/p>\n
The students also demanded that Golkar be disbanded.<\/p>\n
\"It is really shameful if Akbar, who has been clearly declared
\na suspect in a corruption case, still remains the speaker of the
\nHouse of Representatives, a very respected institution. He should
\nhave been removed and subjected to the legal process immediately
\nafter he was declared a suspect,\" student leader Ahmad Muzakir
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of students belonging to the Students Executive
\nCouncil from Java and Bali also expressed similar demands. The
\nstudents, who came from the University of Indonesia, the Jakarta
\nState University and the Bogor Agricultural Institute, said that
\nan inquiry team was required to fight against corruption.<\/p>\n
Tari emphasized that the investigation in the House would be a
\npolitical process not a legal one. It is aimed at finding out
\ndata, facts and the details of the corrupt practices in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
She added that after the inquiry team was established its
\nfindings would politically benefit the government of President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
\"The findings will give political support to the government,
\nespecially to the apparatus in legal affairs for law
\nenforcement,\" Tari said.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the press after the meeting, several legislators
\ngave a somewhat cool response to their peers' justification
\nspeeches. They simply said they would monitor the legal process
\ncurrently proceeding at the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
Even though Akbar and other figures have been declared
\nsuspects, it is no assurance that the case will proceed fairly.<\/p>\n
\"We all know that the Attorney General is appointed by Ibu
\nMegawati. It would be odd if she did not trust the Attorney
\nGeneral,\" said Pramono Anung of the largest party in the House,
\nPDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan had been expected to fully support the inquiry
\ninto the scandal, but it seems now as if it is favoring the legal
\nprocess at the Attorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
Golkar's Priyo Budi Santoso, who rejected the plan, reiterated
\nthat the plan to form an inquiry team was no longer relevant
\nbecause the case was currently being handled by the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office.<\/p>\n
\"We will appeal to fellow legislators to review their
\nproposal,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Alvin Lie, a Legislator from the Reform faction, meanwhile
\nsaid the process would take about one month, therefore he would
\nuse the time monitoring the progress at the Attorney General's
\nOffice.<\/p>\n
\"We have not yet made a final decision. We will follow the
\nprocess either at the House or at the Attorney General's Office,\"
\nsaid Alvin, who was a chief figure in the inquiry team which
\nresulted in the ouster of president Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
The 10 factions in the House will later raise comments over
\nthe explanation, but the exact schedule has not been determined
\nyet. According to Soetardjo, the steering committee will decide
\nthe schedule on Thursday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislators-reluctant-to-question-akbar-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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