Suspect returns last tranche of alleged graft Bulog money<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A suspect in a high-profile corruption case returned the last
\ntranche of Rp 7.5 billion on Tuesday of the misused State
\nLogistics Agency (Bulog) funds to the government.<\/p>\n
The money was returned by Winfried Simatupang's family and
\nlawyers, spokesman of the Attorney General's Office Barman Zahir
\nannounced on Tuesday, referring to the suspect in the Bulog
\nfinancial scam, which has also implicated Speaker of the House of
\nRepresentatives Akbar Tandjung.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who is also chairman of Golkar, is now in detention at
\nthe Attorney General's Office, while Winfried and other suspects
\nin the case including former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan and
\nDadang Sukandar are being detained at Cipinang Penitentiary in
\nEast Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The four were charged with embezzling Rp 40 billion out of Rp
\n54.6 billion disbursed by the Habibie government in 1999 for a
\nfood distribution program.<\/p>\n
Winfried had earlier claimed that he had used all the Rp 40
\nbillion for distributing 1.6 million food packages to five
\nprovinces in Java.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office announced last Saturday that
\nWinfried had returned Rp 32.5 billion in eight installments over
\na two-week period. The latest installment was Rp 5 billion on
\nMarch 7, just before Winfried was detained by investigators.<\/p>\n
Leader of the investigation team Manap Djubaedi told reporters
\non Tuesday that the Attorney General's Office had considered
\nauditing the money that Winfried claimed had never been used for
\nthe project for the poor and that it had been with him all the
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Winfried's claim has raised eyebrows as to why the payment was
\nmade on an installment basis.<\/p>\n
\"We don't know where Winfried kept the money. We will find out
\nwhere the money came from and will ask for a legal audit by the
\nDevelopment and Finance Control Agency (BPKP) and Bank
\nIndonesia,\" Manap said.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who was a minister\/state secretary under former
\npresident Habibie's government, appointed the Raudlatul Jannah
\nFoundation, which was led by Winfried and Dadang, to execute the
\nproject for the poor.<\/p>\n
Many believe that the money went to Golkar's coffers and was
\nused to bankroll votes for the 1999 general election.<\/p>\n
Although the Attorney General's Office has said the returning
\nof the money would not alter the case against the suspects, there
\nis a possibility that it was part of a scenario to help Akbar
\nescape corruption charges.<\/p>\n
A previous Rp 35 billion Bulog scandal case, which allegedly
\ninvolved former president Abdurrahman Wahid, was turned into a
\npetty criminal case after suspect Alip Agung Suwondo returned all
\nthe money.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/suspect-returns-last-tranche-of-alleged-graft-bulog-money-1447893297",
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