Legislators zero in on Akbar's riddles<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta\/Surakarta<\/p>\n
Well aware that the creation of a special committee to
\ninvestigate House Speaker Akbar Tandjung's alleged corruption may
\nnot materialize due to stiff opposition, legislators are setting
\nup a contingency plan.<\/p>\n
They will exploit Akbar's documented inconsistencies in public
\nwith regard to his role in siphoning off Rp 40 billion in
\nNational Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds in 1999 when he was
\nminister\/state secretary.<\/p>\n
His critics have charged that the inconsistencies show that
\nAkbar has been lying to the public, an unethical act, which by
\nitself, may cost him his position as House speaker.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who is also the Golkar Party chairman, has been under
\ninvestigation by Attorney General's Office prosecutors for the
\npast several weeks. But Golkar politicians have been scheming to
\nbuy time in an effort to thwart the establishment of the
\ncommittee by those demanding justice.<\/p>\n
Spearheaded by legislators from the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the latest maneuver is
\nintended to take Akbar to the House's Honorary Council for lying
\nto the public.<\/p>\n
Firman Jaya Daeli, a PDI Perjuangan legislator, said that
\nwhile the efforts to form a special committee to probe Akbar's
\ninvolvement in the Bulog scam would continue, he would also try
\nto take the case to the House Honorary Council.<\/p>\n
\"We (PDI Perjuangan legislators) are lobbying other factions
\nfor support,\" Firman told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The establishment of an Honorary Council is possible under
\nArticle 59 of the newly-enacted House internal regulations. The
\nmaximum sanction is dismissal, for any House member who breaches
\nthe law.<\/p>\n
J.E. Sahetapy, another PDI Perjuangan legislator, said that it
\nwas indisputable that a senior state official was not supposed to
\nbreach his\/her oath of office.<\/p>\n
\"The House internal rule clearly stipulates the sanction. The
\ncoming probe committee must recommend that the Honorary Council
\ndischarge him (Akbar),\" said Sahetapy, who is a legal expert.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan's plan received strong support from the
\nNational Awakening Party (PKB) faction, which is also an adamant
\nsupporter for the establishment of a special investigation
\ncommittee.<\/p>\n
\"Although we still are concentrating on the committee, we will
\ngladly support this plan as well,\" said Ali Masykur Musa,
\nchairman of the PKB faction.<\/p>\n
The efforts to set up a special committee as demanded by 50
\nlegislators, have received strong backing from Amien Rais,
\nspeaker of the People's Consultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
He said in Surakarta on Tuesday night that people implicated
\nin \"Buloggate II\", as the scandal is called, should resign to
\nclear the way for an investigation.<\/p>\n
\"Some people have given inconsistent statements and if this is
\ntolerated, the investigation will go nowhere,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Golkar faction officials reacted angrily to the new
\nidea to take the Akbar case to a House Honorary Council, saying
\nthat the Attorney General's Office was the only institution which
\nhad the authority to probe the case.<\/p>\n
\"Nobody has the authority to judge whether Akbar had lied to
\nthe public. Let's stick to the president's order to investigate
\nthe case through the legal process in the Attorney General's
\nOffice,\" Slamet Effendy Yusuf, a Golkar party executive said.<\/p>\n
The House is scheduled to hold a plenary session on Thursday
\n(today) to decide if the proposal on establishment of a special
\ncommittee for the Akbar affair will be discussed in the upcoming
\nsessions or not.<\/p>\n
Pro-Akbar politicians in Golkar have threatened to expose
\nother parties which also received the hot Bulog money in 1999.<\/p>\n
Golkar officials critical of Akbar, particularly those from
\neastern Indonesia grouped in the Iramasuka forum, also favor the
\nHouse committee.<\/p>\n
Akbar Tandjung's documented statements<\/p>\n
Akbar's story
\n 1. He initially denied directly receiving the Bulog funds.
\n 2. He later said Dadang Ruskandar (Bulog deputy), on behalf of
\nRoudlatul Jannah foundation accepted the funds for relief
\noperations.
\n 3. He added that the naming of Roudlatul Jannah, to receive the
\nfunds, had been reported to three ministers (Haryono Suyono,
\nRahardi Ramelan and Muladi)
\n 4. He also said the foundation was recommended by Haryono Suyono.<\/p>\n
The inconsistencies
\n 1. Former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan and the former Bulog deputy
\nRuskandar disputed Akbar's testimony. Akbar later admitted the
\nfact that he directly received the checks in his office.
\n 2. Evidence shows checks were accepted by Golkar Party treasurers
\nMuhammad S. Hidayat and Fadel Muhammad.
\n 3. All three ministers denied any knowledge of the foundation.
\n 4. Haryono Suyono claimed he never made such a recommendation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/legislators-zero-in-on-akbars-riddles-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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