Court begins hearing case against Suwondo
JAKARTA (JP): The North Jakarta District Court commenced on Thursday the trial of President "Gus Dur" Abdurrahman Wahid's masseur, Muhammad Alip Agung Suwondo, for his alleged role in the Rp 35 billion (US$3.6 billion) State Logistic Agency (Bulog) scandal.
The defendant claimed that acting as the President's personal assistant, he was ordered to withdraw the money from the Bulog employee foundation for humanitarian aid in Aceh, according to the indictment. The disbursement was approved by former Bulog deputy chairman Sapuan, who is being tried separately.
Suwondo could face a maximum four-year jail term if found guilty.
Six prosecutors chaired by Nulis Sembiring alternately read out the 18-page indictment during the hearing, which began at 10:45 a.m. and ended at 11:50 a.m.
Sembiring said that the defendant received two checks worth Rp 5 billion each on Jan. 13, 2000, and another check worth Rp 25 billion on Jan. 25.
The defendant kept Rp 10 billion for himself, and handed over another Rp 5 billion to businesswoman Siti Farika.
Another Rp 15 billion went to a bank account of Suko Sudarso, an official of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), and Rp 5 billion went to Leo Purnomo, a staff member at Awair, an airline company founded by Gus Dur and Suwondo.
"So, the money never was dispersed for humanitarian assistance in Aceh province," Sembiring said.
The hearing presided over by Suwardi, which had been postponed twice due to the defendant's poor health, was packed with visitors and journalists. Some 50 police officers of the mobile brigade unit were deployed at every corner of the district court compound during the session.
The case has drawn public attention because Gus Dur was allegedly implicated in the scandal. The House of Representatives had established a special committee to probe the case, along with another US$2 million financial scandal known as Bruneigate.
The House earlier this month submitted files of the case to the Attorney General and the National Police Chief, demanding legal proceedings.
As the Bulog scam came to light, Suwondo escaped and had been in hiding for months before the police arrested him on Oct. 14 last year.
He was first detained at the city police headquarters, but the prosecutors later transferred him to Cipinang penitentiary. At the end of December, he was put under house arrest.
On Jan. 24, the court ordered that the defendant be moved to the Salemba detention center. However, until yesterday the prosecutors had not moved the defendant from his house because of his poor health.
Suwondo's lawyers said that defendant was still under the treatment of Kramat 128 hospital, and requested the judges to suspend his detention at the penitentiary.
Denny Azani B. Latief, who led Suwondo's team of seven lawyers, told journalists after the hearing that Suwondo received the funds simply as a loan from Yanatera.
Denny also denied allegations that Suwondo had used Gus Dur's name to get the money. "He (Suwondo) said he never used Gus Dur's name (to get the money)," he said, adding that the case should be categorized as a civil case, not criminal.
"Moreover, almost Rp 20 billion of the fund has been returned to Yanatera so far," he said.
The hearing was adjourned until next week to hear the defendant's response toward the indictment. (01)