Nurdin Halid hospitalized, again<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Lawmaker Nurdin Halid, a suspect in a sugar smuggling case, was
\nreadmitted to the Soekamto Police Hospital in East Jakarta on
\nThursday night after police doctors declared him too ill to
\nundergo questioning.<\/p>\n
National Police Director of Economic Crimes Brig. Gen. Samuel
\nIsmoko said on Friday that Nurdin, who is also chairman of the
\nAll Indonesian Soccer Federation, was rushed to the hospital
\nafter he began displaying the same symptoms that led to his
\nearlier hospitalization, including fainting spells.<\/p>\n
\"We sent him to the hospital on Thursday night after doctors
\nexamined him. We cannot keep him here at the headquarters because
\nwe do not have the ability to treat him. We would be blamed if
\nsomething happened,\" said Ismoko.<\/p>\n
Nurdin, chairman of the Confederations of Primary Cooperatives
\nAssociation (Inkud), was treated at the same hospital for almost
\nfour weeks before being transferred to police headquarters last
\nweek.<\/p>\n
Inkud has been accused of illegally importing some 73,000 tons
\nof sugar from Thailand in May. Police have declared a total of
\neight people as suspects in the case. They are Nurdin, Nurdin's
\nyounger brother, Abdul Waris Halid, Effendy Kemek, Abdul Badar
\nSaleh, Jack Tanim and three customs and excise officials.<\/p>\n
Raja Benarje of PT Phoenix, the sugar exporter, was at one
\ntime declared a suspect, but police investigators later amended
\nthis and said the Thai citizen was only a witness.<\/p>\n
The sugar scandal emerged after a farmers' association
\nreported in June they had found 73,000 tons of smuggled sugar in
\nseveral warehouses in Jakarta, Bogor and Makassar, South
\nSulawesi.<\/p>\n
It was during his initial questioning by the police in July
\nthat Nurdin was first hospitalized, being taken to Pertamina
\nHospital in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Doctors at Pertamina said there was nothing wrong with Nurdin
\nand that he simply appeared tired.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, police transferred Nurdin to the Police Hospital
\n\"to undergo intensive treatment\". He remained at the hospital for
\nfour weeks.<\/p>\n
A team of police doctors said Nurdin had severe stomach
\ninflammation and was suffering from depression.<\/p>\n
Contacted separately, the head of Nurdin's team of doctors,
\nSr. Comr. Bimanesh Sutejo, said he could not comment and Ismoko
\nwas the only officer authorized to discuss Nurdin's case.<\/p>\n
Ismoko said the investigation would continue despite Nurdin's
\npoor health.<\/p>\n
\"We can continue interrogating witnesses and suspects in the
\ncase. We won't stop just because Nurdin is hospitalized,\" said
\nIsmoko.<\/p>\n
He said the police would focus on Nurdin's role as Inkud
\nchairman in the sugar transaction.<\/p>\n
\"As Inkud chairman he should know about such a big transaction
\ninvolving his organization. We will charge him under the
\ncountry's corruption law, as the state paid for the sugar to
\nforeign investors through his organization. Now the sugar is
\nillegal but the state has disbursed the funds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ismoko said the transaction has caused billions of rupiah in
\nstate losses.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nurdin-halid-hospitalized-again-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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