Court begins hearing case against Suwondo

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)