AGO seeks permission to summon Akbar
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Attorney General's Office will submit a request to President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday seeking her permission to summon and question House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung over his alleged role in a graft case involving State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds.
Akbar's involvement in the Rp 40 billion Bulog scam was alleged by a suspect in the case, former minister of trade and also former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan.
"We will initiate the probe into this case soon, but we have to ask the President's permission first since he (Akbar) is the House speaker," Attorney General M.A. Rachman said as quoted by Antara on Friday.
Rahardi said that out of total Bulog non-budgetary funds of Rp 54.6 billion, some Rp 40 billion was allocated for the Social Safety Net (JPS) program through the State Secretariat. Akbar was state secretary during former president B.J. Habibie's tenure in 1999.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Coalition of Non- Governmental Organizations said on Friday that the latest Bulog scam, allegedly involving Akbar and the Golkar party, constituted only a small portion of the mammoth graft plaguing Bulog during Rahardi Ramelan's time in office.
Teten Masduki of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said that the money was used to finance the efforts to keep former president B.J. Habibie in power through a special session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 1999.
Teten pointed out that during Habibie's administration, various efforts had been made to protect his presidency, including asking the House to enact a decree banning demonstrations and to form a civilian militia, popularly known as Pam Swakarsa, which was staunchly supported by former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto.
"This is not merely a personal case, but is an abuse of power perpetrated by the Habibie regime against its own people," Teten told a press conference at ICW headquarters.
Teten made the remarks on behalf of his colleagues from the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI), International NGO Forum for Indonesian Development (INFID), Indonesian Institute for the Environment (Walhi), People's Network for Development Accountability and Transparency (JARI), Indonesian Human Rights and Legal Aid Association, Public Study and Advocacy Institute (ELSAM), Judicial Watch and the Indonesian Consumers' Foundation (YLKI).
The NGOs said in a statement distributed to reporters that the Bulog funds that had not been accounted for during Rahardi's time in office were estimated at about Rp 102.41 billion.
This figure was obtained from the State Audit Agency which audited Bulog's financial statements in April 1999 and May 2000. The audit agency learned that the money in Bulog's non-budgetary accounts had disappeared without any receipts being issued.
Voicing the NGO coalition's demands, Teten urged the House to establish a special commission to thoroughly audit Bulog's non- budgetary funds.
"I believe that there will turn out to be more former state officials involved in this case," Teten said.