Legislators still insisting on Akbar inquiry<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite waning support from many of their colleagues, some
\nlegislators were still demanding on Thursday the establishment of
\na special inquiry into the alleged involvement of House of
\nRepresentatives Speaker Akbar Tanjung in the Rp 40 billion
\n(US$3.9 million) Bulog scandal.<\/p>\n
The demands for an inquiry were, however, only being voiced by
\nlegislators from the National Awakening Party (PKB) and some of
\ntheir colleagues from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
They contended that an inquiry by a House special committee
\nwas important for backing up the legal process being undertaken
\nby the Attorney General's Office (AGO).<\/p>\n
Legislator Amin Said Husni of PKB contended that the legal
\nprocess currently being pursued by AGO would be constrained by a
\nlack of hard evidence, much of which might have been destroyed,
\nand would not be able to look beyond the legally admissible
\nevidence.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a political process in the form of a special
\ninquiry would be able to undertake a deeper investigation so as
\nto uncover the truth behind the scandal.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, the real truth could be established by an inquiry
\nprocess in the House as this would be more flexible and would
\nlook into the various factors at work,\" said the PKB legislator.<\/p>\n
PKB, whose patron, former president Abdurrahman Wahid, was
\nunseated from presidency over another Bulog scandal, is the
\nfourth largest faction in the House and has been the most
\ninsistent campaigner for a House special inquiry.<\/p>\n
PKB faction chairman Yusuf Muhammad noted that the faction
\nwould continue to seek supports from other factions for the
\ninquiry.<\/p>\n
PKB, however, is not entirely alone. Some legislators from the
\nPDI Perjuangan, the country's largest political party, are also
\nstill supportive of an inquiry.<\/p>\n
\"An inquiry by the House is still relevant even though Akbar
\nhas been named a suspect. What if the legal process becomes
\ndeadlocked? Therefore, we will still press ahead with our efforts
\nto establish a House special committee,\" Firman Jaya Daeli of the
\nPDI Perjuangan told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Firman's demand was supported by the chairman of the PDI
\nPerjuangan faction in the House, Roy B Janis.<\/p>\n
Janis said the party's executive board had ordered its faction
\nin the House to support the establishment of a special committee,
\nand this order had not been rescinded.<\/p>\n
\"As of today, we are still supporting the establishment of an
\ninquiry team. We have yet to change our stance,\" said Roy.<\/p>\n
His unequivocal statement, however, contradicted the statement
\nmade earlier by PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Soetjipto, who
\nsaid after a meeting of party executives that the party might not
\nsupport a special House inquiry into Akbar so as to give the
\nlegal process a chance to succeed.<\/p>\n
The House is scheduled to convene a plenary session on Jan. 21
\nto decide on the proposal to establish the special committee. The
\nmotion was filed by 50 legislators, many of whom were from PKB
\nand PDI Perjuangan, in October of last year.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, leading anticorruption activist Teten Masduki
\ncalled on the House not to waver in its resolve to establish a
\nspecial committee.<\/p>\n
He contended that it would be a big mistake to entrust the
\nAkbar case solely to the law enforcers as the prosecution process
\nlacked transparency and could become subject to covert political
\ninterference.<\/p>\n
\"Through the establishment of the House special committee,
\nAkbar's case will be able to be examined in a transparent manner
\nby the competing parties in the House, and this would help and
\npave the way for a fair and transparent legal process,\" said
\nTeten, after addressing a legal discussion here.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislators-still-insisting-on-akbar-inquiry-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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