Akbar to perform haj pilgrimage

JAKARTA: Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung is scheduled to leave for Mecca next month for the haj pilgrimage despite being named as a suspect in a high profile corruption scandal.

Golkar deputy secretary-general Rully Chairul Azwar confirmed on Thursday that Akbar, who is also House of Representatives speaker, would join Muslims from across the world for the prayers in Mecca.

The peak of this year's haj pilgrimage falls on Feb. 23, coinciding with the Islamic Day of Sacrifice.

"He will possibly depart on Feb. 12," Rully told The Jakarta Post.

Akbar was named a suspect by the Attorney General's Office last week for his alleged involvement in the misuse of non- budgetary funds from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) amounting to Rp 40 billion.

The office usually imposes a travel ban on suspects in any legal case in an attempt to prevent them from trying to flee or conceal evidence.

But Attorney General MA Rachman has assured the public that the Golkar chairman would not try to flee so that there was no need to impose the ban on him. --JP