Golkar legislators foils investigation of Akbar

Golkar legislators foils investigation of Akbar

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Legislators from the Golkar Party successfully foiled attempts on
Wednesday to create a House of Representatives (DPR) committee to
examine alleged corruption involving House speaker and Golkar
party Chairman Akbar Tandjung.

During a meeting of the House Consultative Body (Bamus),
Golkar lawmakers employed a filibuster tactic by focussing the
issue away from a possible investigation through lengthy debates
on the interpretation of the new House regulations regarding
Bamus membership.

Golkar legislator Hajriyanto Y. Thohari argued that there were
significant differences between the old and new DPR regulations.

"In the new House regulations, there are no substitute members
like in the old regulations, while the factions in the House,
with the exception of Golkar, still observe the old regulations,"
he told The Jakarta Post.

He said the new rules went into effect on Oct. 16.

Because of the different interpretations of the internal DPR
rules, Bamus agreed to adjourn the meeting until Dec. 6 to give
ample time for representatives of all factions to discuss and
resolve differences in interpreting the new regulations.

Wednesday's meeting was originally convened to decide on a
motion to create an investigatory committee, which was filed
earlier by over 50 legislators during the House's plenary
session.

The motion, filed prior to the House recess in October, called
for the creation of a House special committee to investigate
alleged misuse of Rp 40 billion (about US$4 million) from State
Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds by Akbar.

Akbar, is accused of possibly funneling the Bulog money into
Golkar campaign activities, using his position as minister/state
secretary under former president B.J. Habibie in 1988 and 1999.

The Attorney General's Office has summoned Akbar twice
recently for questioning in its ongoing investigation.

Akbar has denied any wrongdoing in the case dubbed Buloggate
II.

Ali Masykur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and
Panda Nababan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) expressed disappointment over the delay.

Ali Masykur blamed the House secretariat for placing the
Buloggate issue as the fourth item to be debated during
Wednesday's meeting, after discussing the nomination of Comr.
Gen. Da'i Bachtiar as National Police chief, the nomination of
Bank Indonesia deputy governors and new members of Bamus.

"We agreed on Nov. 22 that the issue would become the top
priority in today's meeting. I don't know why it was put down to
fourth," Ali said, adding that it was an obvious delay tactic by
Golkar.

DPR Deputy Speaker Tosari Widjaja told the press after the
meeting that the decision on when Buloggate II would be debated
during a plenary meeting will be decided on Dec. 6, at the next
Bamus meeting.

Another PKB legislator Amin Said Husni said the Bulog scandal
had been discussed in Wednesday's meeting, but only PKB and PDI
Perjuangan factions had expressed their views, while other
factions would have to wait until Dec. 6.

Amin said his faction still hopes that the formation of the
House special committee would be decided by the plenary session
before Idul Fitri which falls on Dec. 16 and 17.

Legislators from PKB, a party founded by former president
Abdurrahman Wahid, have taken the lead in the formation of a
special committee to investigate the Bulog scandal.

Abdurrahman lost his hold on power when members of the DPR in
July essentially gave him a no-confidence vote. Most of the
legal moves in his ouster began with speculation that he also
allegedly was linked to missing Bulog funds. He was later
exonerated of any wrongdoing.