Akbar says he has been fooled in Bulog scandal

Akbar says he has been fooled in Bulog scandal

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Akbar Tandjung, the high-profile key suspect in a Rp 40
billion scandal, said on Monday that he had been made a fool by a
recent turn of events in the case.

"It's clear (that I've been fooled), because I know absolutely
nothing about the funds being returned," House of Representatives
Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who is now in detention, was quoted as
saying by Agung Laksono on Monday.

Akbar was referring to some of the State Logistics Agency
(Bulog) money, which was returned to the Attorney General's
Office last week.

Laksono, a senior leader in the Golkar party which Akbar led,
was visiting Akbar at the Attorney General's Office, where he has
been held since last Thursday.

The case took a bizarre turn on Saturday when the office
announced that one of the suspects in the case, Winfried
Simatupang, returned Rp 32.5 billion of the allegedly stolen
funds "in installments several days ago".

The scandal revolves around then president B.J. Habibie's
policy to disburse Rp 54.6 billion of the Bulog money to finance
several programs during the prolonged economic crisis in 1999
when Akbar was a Cabinet minister and state secretary.

Investigators said that Winfried had retracted his earlier
statements in which he said the money was used to finance the
government's project for the poor by distributing 1.6 million
food packages in five provinces of Java in 1999.

It is not clear how or why Winfried returned the money on an
installment basis as the suspect previously told investigators
that the funds were all drawn from one account and that they had
always been there.

Winfried's lawyer said that his client transferred the money
on eight occasions.

"The first payment was made on Feb. 26, when Winfried handed
over Rp 8 billion, while the latest payment of Rp 5 billion was
made on March 7, the night he was taken into custody," lawyer
Sabar Ompusunggu told The Jakarta Post.

He said his client was asked by the Attorney General's Office
not to make the payments public for the sake of the
investigation.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Barman Zahir said the
money would be used as evidence but the fact that the money had
been returned would not alter the case against Akbar.

Winfried and another suspect Dadang Sukandar head the
Raudlatul Jannah Foundation, which executed the humanitarian
project.

Former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan is in Cipinang detention,
East Jakarta, pending prosecution on charges of alleged abuse of
power with the disbursement of the funds.

The Attorney General's Office shortened on Monday visiting
hours for his friends and supporters.

"Guests can only visit on Monday and Wednesday this week from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with approval. Family members are an exception,"
spokesman Barman said.

However, many Golkar leaders were seen visiting Akbar, who was
accompanied by wife Krisnina Maharani late in the afternoon.

For five days, Akbar has become the number one draw in the
Attorney General's Office compound. Visitors continue streaming
in until late in the evening, with some even spending the night
in the compound.

Barman said the office had yet to respond to Akbar's
application for a suspension of his detention.

Akbar's lawyers have threatened to file a pretrial lawsuit
against their client's detention.

Barman said the investigation was about to end and would move
to the prosecution stage next week.