Mega allows questioning of Nurdin<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri granted the National Police
\npermission on Thursday to summon lawmaker and businessman Nurdin
\nHalid for questioning in the high-profile sugar scandal.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar told journalists that
\nthe President notified him about the letter shortly after she
\nsigned it.<\/p>\n
\"We will start the questioning in a couple of days. We have
\nbeen preparing investigators,\" the four-star general said.<\/p>\n
Nurdin is a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
\nfrom the regional faction representing South Sulawesi province as
\nwell as the chairman of the Confederation of Primary Cooperatives
\nAssociation (Inkud).<\/p>\n
Based on the law, police or prosecutors must obtain permission
\nfrom the president to summon a legislator for questioning.<\/p>\n
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung
\nSudjono confirmed that his office had received permission to quiz
\nNurdin.<\/p>\n
\"We will question Nurdin next week to establish his role and
\nInkud's position in the sugar case. As chairman, he should know
\nabout all major transactions involving his organization,\" said
\nSuyitno.<\/p>\n
Nurdin has been named a witness in connection with the
\nsmuggling of 73,000 tons of sugar from Thailand, which was found
\nat warehouses in Jakarta, Bekasi and Bogor in West Java, as well
\nas Makassar in South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
The illegally imported sugar has caused the prices of local
\nsugar to fall below the production cost of between Rp 3,200 (34
\nU.S. cents) and Rp 3,300 per kilogram. The case caused serious
\nlosses for local producers.<\/p>\n
The alleged involvement of Nurdin in the scam was revealed
\nafter the police interrogated Inkud president director Chairudin
\nNoor last Thursday.<\/p>\n
Nurdin's younger brother Abdul Haris Halid was declared a
\nsuspect in the same case along with seven other businessmen and
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
The seven include Effendy Kemek, Jack Tanim and Andi Badar
\nSaleh -- all from the consortium set up by Inkud to handle the
\nsugar importation -- and Raja Bernaje, the president director of
\nPT Phoenix Commodities Indonesia<\/p>\n
The other three suspects are Wahyono, the head of the service
\ndivision at Tanjung Priok customs and excise office, Yan Miral,
\nthe office head of the investigation section and Muhammad Zein,
\nthe office head of the intelligence sub unit.<\/p>\n
Jack and Andi remain at large, while Raja Bernaje failed to
\ncomply with his police summons. The police have however detained
\nAbdul Waris and Effendy for intensive questioning.<\/p>\n
Suyitno said the police were also interrogating witnesses from
\nstate-owned plantation firm PT Perkebunan Negara (PTPN) X in the
\nsame case.<\/p>\n
\"We questioned PTPN X director Duduh Sudarachmat and several
\nof his staff in connection with fake documents made by several of
\nthe suspects in the scandal,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Suyitno said all the suspects were charged because they were
\nresponsible for the entry of the illegal sugar into the country
\nand that several of them were accused of falsifying the
\ndocuments.<\/p>\n
Most of the charged suspects in the case had been questioned
\nby the police, Suyitno said.<\/p>\n
\"Except for the three fugitives, we have questioned all of the
\nsuspects. We have identified who is the most responsible for the
\nsmuggling, but we need to question more witnesses to be able to
\ncomplete their dossiers,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-allows-questioning-of-nurdin-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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