AG to summon Akbar, Wiranto
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Attorney General's Office plans to summon a present and a former high-ranking official to check whether they really received part of some Rp 54.6 billion (US$49.6 million) in funds belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), the office's spokesman said.
Spokesman Mulyohardjo said on Wednesday that Speaker of the House of Representatives Akbar Tandjung and former coordinating minister for political, social and security affairs Gen. (ret) Wiranto would be summoned to clarify allegations made by former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan, one of the suspects in the Bulog scam.
"Pak Rahardi said on Tuesday that he had disbursed some Rp 54.6 billion from the agency's non-budgetary funds when he was head of the organization," Muljohardjo told reporters at his office.
"Since he said he gave some Rp 40 billion to Pak Akbar Tandjung and another Rp 10 billion to Pak Wiranto, with the remaining Rp 4.6 billion going to PT Goro Batara Sakti (formerly owned by Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra) in connection with a land swap deal, we will ask for clarification by summoning both Akbar Tandjung and Wiranto," Muljohardjo said.
Akbar and Wiranto were serving as cabinet secretary and armed forces chief/minister of defense and security respectively when the alleged disbursement of the funds took place.
Akbar, Wiranto and Rahardi were former ministers who served in the administration of president B.J. Habibie between 1998 and 1999.
Rahardi has been charged as a suspect in the corruption case involving a land swap deal between Bulog and PT Goro in which Tommy Soeharto -- the youngest son of former president Soeharto -- has just been controversially acquitted of all charges by the Supreme Court.
Rahardi revealed to reporters on Tuesday that the disbursement of the funds was carried out in line with a decision made at a limited Cabinet meeting in March 1999.
Rahardi, who was minister of trade and industry at the time, made his statement after being questioned by investigating prosecutors.
According to him, the Rp 40 billion handed over to Akbar had originally been allocated for purchasing food and other basic commodities as many people were unable to meet their daily needs due to the economic crisis in February and March of 1999
Akbar was appointed by the meeting to take charge of channeling the funds through the social safety net scheme, Rahardi said.
As a result of the worsening security situation at the time, the other Rp 10 billion was used to finance the establishment of a civilian militia, popularly called Pamswakarsa, he said, adding that Wiranto had been assigned to handle the project.
Muljohardjo, however, did not elaborate as to when his office would summon Akbar and Wiranto, saying that prosecutors must first clarify whether the Cabinet meeting at the time had the authority to make certain political decisions in line with the government's policies.
"And should the meeting have that authority, we will then seek clarification as to whether this disbursement caused loss to the state and whether it (the disbursement) was made in order to support government policy," Muljohardjo said.