President requested funds: Official<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior official of the State Logistics Agency
\n(Bulog) testified in court on Tuesday that he had disbursed Rp 35
\nbillion of funds from an employee foundation in January.<\/p>\n
He believed the money was requested by President Abdurrahman
\nWahid.<\/p>\n
Mulyono, chairman of Bulog's Yanatera foundation, said he
\nunderstood that then Bulog deputy chief Sapuan had full authority
\nto order him to disburse the money.<\/p>\n
Sapuan said the money was needed for a government humanitarian
\nprogram in Aceh upon an order from President Abdurrahman, Mulyono
\ntold the South Jakarta District Court, which is trying Sapuan on
\ncharges of embezzlement of Bulog money.<\/p>\n
Sapuan has denied the charges and insisted that he requested
\nthe money because it was so-ordered by the head of state. If
\nfound guilty, he faces a maximum jail term of five years.<\/p>\n
The suggestions of the President's involvement and allegations
\nthat the money went into the pockets of members of his inner
\ncircle prompted the House of Representatives to launch an
\ninquiry.<\/p>\n
Mulyono said he had followed all proper procedures in
\nreleasing the funds, stressing that Sapuan had full authority to
\nmanage Bulog's day-to-day operations on behalf of the agency's
\nthen chief Jusuf Kalla, who at the time was also minister of
\nindustry and trade.<\/p>\n
He said the order to release the Rp 35 billion was contained
\nin a memo signed by Sapuan, although the foundation's statute
\nstipulated that the release of any sum above Rp 500 million must
\nhave the written approval of the Bulog chief.<\/p>\n
\"We (and the staff) believed Pak Sapuan had full authority to
\norder the disbursement of the funds,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sapuan had earlier promised to bring a receipt signed by
\nPresident Abdurrahman, but it later turned out that the receipt
\nwas signed by Suwondo, the President's masseur, Mulyono said.<\/p>\n
In May, the foundation called for a meeting with Sapuan and
\nSuwondo to discuss the return of the money, he said, adding that
\nYanatera eventually agreed to treat the funds as a loan to
\nSuwondo, payable within one year at an annual interest rate of 18
\npercent.<\/p>\n
The trial also heard the testimony of Tito Karnavian of the
\nJakarta Police's Economic Investigation Unit, who explained to
\nthe court the process of Sapuan's arrest and the ensuing
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
Suwondo, who has also been named a suspect in the Bulog
\nscandal, is still at large.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge Lalu Mariyun adjourned the hearing until next
\nweek. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/president-requested-funds-official-1447893297",
"image": ""
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