AG to summon Akbar, Wiranto

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.