Bulogate a plot against friends of Gus Dur: Alwi

Bulogate a plot against friends of Gus Dur: Alwi

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab said
certain parties are conspiring to use the Bulog scandal to
discredit President Abdurrahman Wahid's inner circle, of which
Alwi is a member.

Alwi, whose name has been mentioned among the alleged
beneficiaries of the Rp 35 billion scam, called a media
conference at his office on Wednesday to deny any involvement in
the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) case.

Alwi said the allegations were aimed at humiliating him and
other close advisors of the President.

"I see the big scenario here, an effort to bring down all Gus
Dur's close aides. These are slanders, you probably know where
they came from," he told reporters in reference to the
allegations.

Gus Dur is the popular nickname of the President.

Asked whether he would resign to facilitate the police
investigation, he said this was for the President to decide. "I
will resign if the President asks me to."

He pledged to fully cooperate with the police or the Attorney
General's Office in the investigation of the case.

Bondan Gunawan, another member of the inner circle, resigned
from his powerful post as secretary of state on Monday amidst
allegations that he too had benefited from the Bulog scandal.

Bulog deputy chairman Sapuan lost his job and is now under
police custody as one of two prime suspects in Bulogate. He
allegedly ordered the disbursement of the money belonging to a
foundation of Bulog employees in January, after failing to secure
the approval to use Bulog money from his chief, Yusuf Kalla.

The other main suspect, Gus Dur's masseur and spiritual
advisor Suwondo, is at large and may have fled abroad. Sapuan
told investigators that Suwondo approached him to solicit Bulog
funds, claiming that he was acting on the President's behalf.

The allegation against Alwi grew stronger after former
industry and trade minister Yusuf Kalla told police investigators
this week that Alwi had approached him in April, when he was
still in office, "about a certain Bulog fund."

Alwi did not specifically recall this conversation but
conceded that he talked about Bulog with Yusuf to discuss
retaining Sapuan in his post.

Both men thought that Sapuan was highly professional, and a
responsible and hard working person.

"I was responsible for securing Sapuan's job as Bulog's deputy
chief. You can ask pak Yusuf whether I brought him to meet Gus
Dur so that Sapuan could keep his job," he said.

"At the meeting, Gus Dur said that 'if the (trade) minister
says so, then okay'," Alwi said.

Alwi said the only other time he talked about Bulog with Yusuf
was in April, after the appointment of Rizal Ramli as the new
Bulog chairman.

The subject then was about the fate of Sapuan. There was no
mention of any Bulog money. At the time, rumors of the scandal
had only begun to circulate.

Alwi said he had called Yusuf because he felt that it was his
moral responsibility to ask about the person he once recommended.

"Before the media exposed the scandal, I had only heard
rumors. I didn't know anything about it," he said.

Police meanwhile said they have not yet summoned Bondan over
the case because there is no evidence of his involvement.

"The investigators don't see any urgency in summoning pak
Bondan," Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said.

National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo said police have
blocked the bank accounts of several people believed to have
received Bulog money.

He declined to give names of the account holders.

Police have also solicited the cooperation of the National
Central Bureau and Interpol to track down the whereabouts of
Suwondo abroad.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said Suwondo's testimony was
essential to uncover the mystery of the scandal.

"Suwondo could reveal where the money has gone to and who were
the beneficiaries," Akbar said on Wednesday.

The Speaker had earlier told Gus Dur pointedly to explain the
case or risk losing his credibility and legitimacy.

Akbar said he had also approved the House's commission on
legal affairs to investigate the case by summoning those believed
to have some knowledge of the scandal.

Achmad Farhan Hamid, a member of the commission, said Sapuan
is scheduled to appear before the commission on Friday.

Other names lined up for questioning include Suko Sudarso,
deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's
center for research and development, Purnomo Sidi of the private
airline company PT Awair, and Suwondo's wife Teti Sunarti, he
said. (dja/prb/rms/ylt)