Akbar could be declared suspect if he lied: Lawyers

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.