Bustanil rushed to hospital

JAKARTA: The former state minister of cooperatives and small and medium enterprises and chairman of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), Bustanil Arifin, was rushed on Friday to the police hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, for treatment of diabetes mellitus.

The suspect in a corruption case involving Bulog funds in 1990 was taken out of his cell at 1:30 p.m. He was wearing a black cap, brown batik shirt and black trousers.

The 77-year-old Bustanil said his health had been deteriorating, but he did not elaborate further.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara said that the police medical team, which checks Bustanil's health every morning, found that there was an increase of sugar in his blood on Friday.

"The team feared that the high amount of sugar in his blood would worsen Bustanil's health, so we decided to take him to the hospital," said the police chief, as quoted by Antara.

Police have detained Bustanil for questioning over a second corruption case involving Bulog funds. -- JP