Big-wig visits mark top detainee's first day

Big-wig visits mark top detainee's first day

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

On his first day as a detainee, House of Representatives
Speaker Akbar Tandjung was the number one attraction at the
Attorney General's Office compound on Friday.

The guest list included, Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar
Chamsyah, State Minister of Communication and Information and
Golkar colleague Syamsul Mu'arif, former ministers in past
regimes from Golkar Abdul Gafur and Bomer Pasaribu and the four
deputy House speakers conveyed respects and sympathy to the top
politician who they said "had earnestly yielded himself to the
law and doesn't deserve detention".

Akbar became the highest state official detained in the
government's faltering campaign to stamp out graft.

He is serving a 20-day detention to help expedite his
investigation over his alleged role in the misuse of Rp 40
billion of non-budgetary state funds belonging to the State's
Logistics Agency (Bulog).

He has denied any wrongdoing despite the damaging evidence and
accounts provided by investigators and witnesses.

"I'm fine. Thank you for all your support," Akbar said as he
addressed the people who also had attended the Muslim Friday
prayers at the Baitul Adli mosque in the Attorney General's
Office compound which is a short walk from the jail.

Akbar's four deputies also came to report the latest
developments from the House, including the induction of a new
member and the plan to attend the upcoming International
Parliamentary Union in Morocco.

"We just had a light conversation. We came here to show our
solidarity among the House speakers...when a friend suffers a
misfortune it's time for us to give support," House deputy
speaker Muhaimin Iskandar of the National Awakening Party faction
said.

Deputy speaker Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction said that
Akbar's blood pressure had risen slightly but he quickly added
that it was because Akbar was still tired from his Muslim haj
pilgrimage trip.

Akbar's lawyers also submitted a request for the investigators
to suspend detention or, at least, shift it to city or house
arrest. In addition, they threatened to file a protest with the
court on the detention should their request be ignored.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Barman Zahir said that
Akbar's case was expected to be completed this month.