Police to question Gus Dur on Monday<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid is scheduled to be
\nquestioned as a witness by Jakarta Police detectives on Monday
\nover the Rp 35 billion State Logistics Agency scandal, an officer
\nsaid on Friday.<\/p>\n
The head of the general information unit at National Police
\nHeadquarters, Col. Saleh Saaf, said city police detectives sent a
\nletter on Thursday informing the President of Monday's
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
However, Saleh did not say where the questioning would take
\nplace.<\/p>\n
\"It's only a technical matter,\" Saleh said, adding that the
\npolice had not yet received a reply from the President or the
\nPresidential Office to the letter.<\/p>\n
The scandal revolves around the disbursement of Rp 35 billion
\nfrom the agency's employee foundation, Yanatera, to the
\nPresident's masseur, Suwondo, by agency deputy chairman Sapuan.<\/p>\n
Sapuan said he transferred the money to Suwondo, who claimed
\nto be acting on the President's behalf, after a meeting in which
\nthe President requested the agency's participation in a
\nhumanitarian program in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Former Jakarta Police chief of detectives Col. Alex Bambang
\nRiatmodjo announced on Wednesday last week the President had been
\ncleared of any involvement in the scandal.<\/p>\n
Alex, who was recently promoted to chief of the Bandung
\nPolice, said he believed Sapuan, who is in police custody, was
\nthe main suspect in the case.<\/p>\n
He said Sapuan may have been attempting to win the President's
\nfavor by transferring the money to Suwondo, in the hope of one
\nday being appointed to head the State Logistics Agency.<\/p>\n
Saleh insisted on Monday that although Alex said the President
\nwas free of suspicion in the case, Abdurrahman still needed to be
\nquestioned to help the police in their investigation.<\/p>\n
\"The police are just trying to be professional,\" Saleh said.<\/p>\n
The President arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday from a two-week
\nofficial overseas trip.<\/p>\n
During the trip, Abdurrahman told Indonesian journalists of
\nhis readiness to be questioned by the Jakarta Police over the
\nscandal.<\/p>\n
According to Saleh, the police -- in the process of
\ninvestigating criminal cases -- have the prerogative to question
\nanyone, including the President.<\/p>\n
\"KUHAP (the Criminal Code Procedures) states that the police
\nare authorized to summon anyone (for questioning),\" Saleh told
\njournalist after meeting with the media as part of the so-called
\n\"morning coffee program\". (08)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-to-question-gus-dur-on-monday-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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