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)