Court hears Abdurrahman's testimony in 'Buloggate'

JAKARTA (JP): The written testimony of President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid about the Rp 35 billion Bulog scandal was again read out in court on Thursday, this time in the trial of his former masseur.

Before reading the testimony, prosecutor Nulis Sembiring informed the North Jakarta District Court that they had received a reply from the presidential secretary dated last Friday, saying that the President could not be present in the court due to his busy schedule.

The defendant in the trial is Alip Agung Suwondo, alias An Peng Sui, who is charged with defrauding the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) of Rp 35 billion.

Suwondo had claimed that the money had been withdrawn from the employees' foundation of the agency, Yanatera, at the request of Gus Dur.

Police investigations revealed that Suwondo had introduced himself to former Bulog deputy chief Sapuan as Gus Dur's trustee. Sapuan then reimbursed the money early last year in the belief that it was for humanitarian aid in the troubled province Aceh.

Prosecutors had read out Gus Dur's testimony, which was given to the police in June last year, during Sapuan's trial at the South Jakarta District Court, after informing the judges that the President's attendance was unnecessary.

Sapuan was later sentenced to two years in jail for abusing his power in embezzling Yanatera funds. He has appealed to a higher court.

In the written testimony, the President told the police at the presidential palace that, during a meeting on Jan. 7, 2000, he and Sapuan discussed the possibility of using some of Bulog's Rp 370 billion nonbudgetary funds for humanitarian aid in Aceh.

Gus Dur testified that he then abandoned the plan when he was told that a presidential decree was required.

"So I told him there was no need to go ahead, since it would take too much time," he stated.

Gus Dur emphasized that it was not he who arranged the meeting and that he knew nothing about the Rp 35 billion withdrawn from Yanatera. He also denied ordering Suwondo to obtain the money from Sapuan.

The Attorney General's Office stated on Monday that there was not enough evidence to prove Gus Dur's involvement in the case.

The court also heard the testimony of public notary Ali Maksum, who had issued a certificate for Suwondo's 100 hectare landholding at Sinar Galih, West Java.

He testified that he did not know how Suwondo had obtained the money to buy the land, which, according to the prosecutor, was bought using Yanatera's funds.

Yanatera executive chairman Mulyono Makmur, who was scheduled to testify on Thursday, failed to appear for the third time.

Presiding Judge Suwardi refused the prosecutor's request to hear Mulyono's written testimony, saying that he was a key witness and should therefore testify in court.

The Attorney General's Office named Mulyono last week as a suspect in the graft case, together with the foundation's treasurer Yacob Ishak.

Separately, the office's spokesman Muljohardjo encouraged legislators to file reports to his office on corruption cases, including the alleged scandal involving projects of the state oil and gas company Pertamina.

He was referring on a statement made by deputy chairman of the National Awakening faction (PKB) Chatibul Umam Wiranu, during a plenary session on Wednesday, when he accused the People's Consultative Assembly deputy speaker Ginandjar Kartasasmita and House of Representatives member Arifin Panigoro, of involvement in corruption.

Chatibul said that Ginandjar, from the Golkar faction, had taken Rp 555 billion from a project with the U.S. oil company Caltex when he was a minister of mines and energy, and Arifin, head of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI- Perjuangan) faction had embezzled Rp 211 billion in a project with his company Medco.(bby)