Nurdin 'too weak' to be probed<\/p>\n
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Police investigators attempted to fulfill their promise to
\nquestion Confederation of Primary Cooperatives Association
\n(Inkud) chairman Nurdin Halid on Wednesday but were thwarted, as
\nthe suspect in a sugar scandal was declared too weak to undergo
\ninterrogation.<\/p>\n
National Police anti-fraud squad chief
\nBrig. Gen. Samuel Ismoko said a team of doctors who are treating
\nNurdin told the police to wait until their patient was well
\nagain.<\/p>\n
\"We can't question him right now as he is still not yet
\nhealthy enough. However, we can assure you that we will take him
\nto our headquarters once he recovers,\" said Ismoko.<\/p>\n
As recently as Monday, doctors declared Nurdin as fit for
\nquestioning, but suggested that the police carry out the
\nprocedure in Soekanto Police Hospital, where he had been treated
\nfor the last three weeks.<\/p>\n
The police complied with the suggestion in order to speed up
\ntheir investigation into Nurdin's alleged role in the smuggling
\nof 73,000 tons of sugar.<\/p>\n
Ismoko said the police would await the go-ahead from doctors
\nfor Nurdin to undergo questioning.<\/p>\n
Head of Nurdin's medical team Sr. Comr. Bimanesh Sutejo said
\nNurdin had been suffering from acute gastritis and depression
\nsince he was first taken to the hospital in mid-July.<\/p>\n
\"We carried out an endoscopy twice to check his abdomen and
\nfound inflammation. He was improving recently but yesterday
\n(Tuesday) he complained he couldn't sleep due to a stomachache.
\nWe assume his condition has worsened,\" said Bimanesh.<\/p>\n
Endoscopy involves the insertion of an instrument into a body
\naperture or duct for direct visual inspection and biopsy.<\/p>\n
Bimanesh said Nurdin's health continued to be unstable and
\ncould not specify when he might leave the hospital.<\/p>\n
\"For instance, he can't stand and talk for a long time, let
\nalone walk. If he stands for only a few minutes he falls
\nunconscious,\" he said.<\/p>\n
This is the first proper clarification on Nurdin's health
\nstatus as both the police and doctors revealed almost nothing
\nabout him after he was taken to the hospital three weeks ago.<\/p>\n
After a session of police questioning that lasted more than
\nsix hours in mid-July, Nurdin joined the list of suspects in the
\ncase on the grounds that as Inkud chairman he would have known
\nabout such a large transaction involving his organization.<\/p>\n
However, he was subsequently taken to Pertamina Hospital,
\nSouth Jakarta, when he fell unconscious after the questioning.
\nDoctors at the hospital said they found nothing wrong with him,
\napart from symptoms of exhaustion.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, police transferred Nurdin to the Soekanto
\nHospital \"to undergo intensive medication\".<\/p>\n
The police have named eight people suspects in the scandal.
\nThey are Nurdin's brother Abdul Waris Halid, Effendy Kemek, Abdul
\nBadar Saleh, Jack Tanim, three officials from the customs and
\nexcise office, and Raja Benarje of PT Phoenix, the sugar
\nexporter.<\/p>",
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