Rahardi denies attending meeting to disburse Rp 40b<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The former minister of trade and industry and chief of the
\nState Logistics Agency (Bulog), Rahardi Ramelan, dispelled claims
\non Tuesday that he had attended a meeting to discuss the use of
\nRp 40 billion in nonbudgetary Bulog funds.<\/p>\n
Rahardi told the South Jakarta District Court that he had not
\nattended a meeting with then president B.J. Habibie, state
\nsecretary Akbar Tanjung and coordinating minister for people's
\nwelfare and poverty eradication Haryono Suyono at the State
\nPalace on Feb. 10, 1999 to discuss a charitable project.<\/p>\n
According to Rahardi, he had been on a trade mission to the
\nUnited States and Jamaica from Feb. 4 to Feb. 17, 1999.<\/p>\n
Rahardi is being tried for his alleged part in the
\nmisappropriation of Rp 62.9 billion belonging to Bulog between
\n1998 and 1999.<\/p>\n
Rahardi gave Rp 40 billion of the money to Akbar, Rp 10
\nbillion to then minister of defense Gen. Wiranto and the rest for
\nvarious purposes including for the Presidential Guards.<\/p>\n
House of Representatives Speaker and Golkar Party chairman
\nAkbar Tandjung is being tried in a separate trial for misuse of
\nthe funds.<\/p>\n
Rahardi's indictment stated that the case dated back to Feb.
\n10 when Raudlatul Jannah Foundation chairman Dadang Sukandar
\nsubmitted a proposal to Akbar, who was then minister\/state
\nsecretary, for a charitable project.<\/p>\n
\"There was a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 18 to talk about the
\nsocial safety net program (JPS), and Pak Habibie ordered me to
\ngive Rp 40 billion to Pak Akbar,\" Rahardi asserted.<\/p>\n
The indictment also said that contractor Winfried Simatupang
\npresented the proposal in Akbar's office on Feb. 17 after Akbar
\nhad approved it on Feb. 15.<\/p>\n
Habibie, Akbar and Haryono earlier testified separately that
\nthey held a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 10 to discuss the charitable
\nproject, aimed at helping the poor during the monetary crisis by
\nselling staple food at low prices.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Habibie lied. His testimony was contrived and deceitful,\"
\nhe said during cross-examination by chief prosecutor Kemas Yahya
\nRahman.<\/p>\n
Habibie testified in July via video linkup from Hamburg,
\nGermany, that the charitable project was not a fallacy. He
\nclaimed that he had ordered Rahardi to disburse Rp 10 billion to
\nGen. Wiranto to secure the project.<\/p>\n
Habibie's testimony differed from that of Wiranto, who
\ntestified that the Rp 10 billion was for the overseeing of
\nsecurity in the city during the 1999 elections and during a self-
\ndetermination vote in East Timor.<\/p>\n
Wearing a brown suit, Rahardi claimed he had ignored a summons
\nfrom the Attorney General's Office in early 2000 because he first
\nhad to consult with the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) and
\nthe National Police.<\/p>\n
\"The case involves the leader of a big political party.
\nThat's why I had to consult it with them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
On the sidelines of the hearing, lawyer Trimoelja D. Soerjadi
\nrepeatedly said that the Bulog case had been contrived in such a
\nway as to save Akbar and Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"It is obvious that the case has been contrived.
\nUnfortunately, they were not aware about the dates involved in
\nthe case,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Trimoelja stated several times during the hearing that Akbar
\nhad attempted to persuade Rahardi to lie before the court to save
\nhimself.<\/p>\n
Dadang had testified that he had forged documents pertaining
\nto the case. Winfried, who in a bizarre twist paid back the Rp 40
\nbillion to the state, admitted that he had lied to save Akbar.<\/p>\n
Many believe that the Rp 40 billion was channeled to the
\nGolkar Party to fund its 1999 election campaign.<\/p>\n
The Central Jakarta District Court is expected to pass
\njudgment on Akbar, Dadang and Winfried on Wednesday in relation
\nto the same case.<\/p>",
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