Akbar could be declared suspect if he lied: Lawyers
Bambang Nurbianto and Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung could be named a suspect in a Rp 54.6 billion (US$5 million) financial scandal if it is proven he lied in his testimony on the high-profile scam, lawyers said on Wednesday.
They also slammed the Attorney General's Office (AGO) for its slow investigation of the case, saying it should recover its poor image by showing fairness and evading political interference in the inquiry.
"There are several odd things in the investigation, which should be questioned," prominent lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis told The Jakarta Post.
He was referring to contradicting statements given by Akbar and Achmad Ruskandar, a former deputy finance chief of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), who handed over two checks worth Rp 40 billion to the State Secretariat.
Ruskandar admitted on Tuesday that he gave the checks directly to Akbar as state/cabinet secretary in 1999 at the instruction of his superior Rahardi Ramelan.
However, Akbar had earlier denied he personally received the money from Ruskandar, who he said directly gave the checks to leaders of the Islamic Raudlatul Jannah Foundation.
"For the sake of the House's credibility, Akbar Tandjung should voluntarily quit his post if he is proven to have given false explanations," Todung said.
The Rp 40 billion was part of a 54.6 billion fund disbursed by Bulog in several installments for humanitarian programs during the peak of the country's economic crisis in 1999. But many have alleged the money was partly misused for the political interests of Golkar Party, which is led by Akbar.
Another lawyer, Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara, said the AGO should soon name new suspects in the scandal and questioned its decision to charge then Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan with embezzlement.
"Why has Rahardi become a suspect when he has already admitted that the fund's disbursement was instructed by his superiors," Garuda said.
He declined to say whether Akbar or then president B.J. Habibie should be declared new suspects. Rahardi had said he was ordered in a Cabinet meeting by Habibie, currently living in Germany, to disburse the funds for social safety net programs.
Garuda said investigators should not only focus the probe on copies of incriminating receipts apparently signed by Golkar treasurers Fadel Muhammad and Muhammad S. Hidayat. "There are other pieces of evidence that the AGO should concentrate on in the inquiry," he added.
More evidence could be unearthed by tracing the flow of the disbursed funds through the bank accounts, he said.
Antonius Sujata, chairman of the National Ombudsmen Commission, agreed with calls to charge Akbar if he is proved to have lied during the investigation. The House speaker could also be accused of being uncooperative with investigators, he added.
"The first thing the AGO should do is seek clarifications from Akbar Tandjung on the conflicting information given by Ruskandar and summon other people who had witnessed the handing over of the checks," Sujata said.
Also joining calls for Akbar's resignation was chairman of the Indonesian Society for Transparency Sudirman Said, who said the House speaker should temporarily quit his job to give investigators an opportunity to carry out their duties effectively.
"Figures who are in positions of power should leave their formal positions temporarily, so that legal officers have a better opportunity to continue their investigation," he said.
Sujata also criticized the sluggish investigation at the AGO, saying the slow process would allow any party to engineer a case.
"It is a high time for the AGO to show its professionalism, courage and independence. And the investigators should work fast to prevent intervention by any party," he told the Post. "It is also time for the AGO to show its seriousness in fighting corruption, collusion and nepotism. It should not miss this timely opportunity."
Todung said the sluggish probe into the Bulog scandal indicated "compromises" between the AGO and other relevant parties.
He said the scam, involving members of the nation's political elite, was a test case for the AGO to repair its poor performance in dealing with corruption. "During the three or four months of President Megawati Soekarnoputri's rule, the AGO has not yet shown much achievement in carrying out its duties."
Todung also backed mounting demands for the House to launch a political investigation into Akbar's case, saying the legislative body should not deal discriminatorily with any corruption case.
"If they (the House) have seriously investigated a corruption case implicating former president Abdurrahman Wahid, they should do the same in the Akbar case," he said.
Sudirman said the Akbar case was a test for Megawati's government to fight corruption and strengthen her political position.
"But if Megawati frees Akbar now,...it will be bad news for the nation's efforts to eradicate corruption," he added.