Gus Dur admitted he was wrong: Ex-police chief

JAKARTA (JP): Former National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo said on Wednesday that President Abdurrahman Wahid had admitted that he was wrong in handing over a Rp 5 billion check to businesswoman Siti Farika.

"He admitted that he was wrong, saying, 'excuse me Pak Rusdi, I can't see, so I don't know who issued the check, I just handed it over'," Rusdihardjo told reporters at the Attorney General's Office.

Rusdihardjo had earlier been questioned in connection with the House of Representatives' memorandum alleging the involvement of President Abdurrahman, who is almost blind, in the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and Brunei financial scandals.

The House accused the President of involvement in the illegal disbursement of Rp 35 billion (US$3.5 million) belonging to Yanatera, Bulog's employee foundation, as well as misappropriating US$2 million in funds from the sultan of Brunei, which Abdurrahman claims was a personal gift.

Bulog former deputy chairman Sapuan and Alip Agung Suwondo, the president's masseur, are being tried in relation to the cases separately.

Sapuan, who is facing a possible 18-month jail sentence, told the court that he approved the disbursement of Yanatera funds because Suwondo told him that the withdrawal was authorized by the President, who needed the money for humanitarian aid in Aceh.

In later developments, once the scam was disclosed, several other people, including Suwondo's wife and Siti Farika, returned money belonging to Yanatera which they had received.

Rusdihardjo said on Wednesday that prosecutors asked him to explain the two different dossiers made by the police based on their questioning of the President over the case.

He said that the President was questioned by the police twice. First, Rusdihardjo had questioned him, while the second interview was conducted by city police detective chief Col. Harry Montolalu and his predecessor Alex Bambang Riatmodjo.

Asked why the President made different statements in the two dossiers, Rusdihardjo said: "They could change depending on the developments in the case."

"Based on what President Abdurrahman Wahid told me, he himself hand over the check to Siti Farikah," he said.

But during the second interview, Gus Dur withdrew the statement, saying he knew nothing about the check.

"Let the court decide," Rusdihardjo said.

Sapuan was also questioned on Wednesday at the Attorney General's Office in relation to the same case.

Bulog former chairman, Yusuf Kalla, is scheduled to be questioned on March 22.

At the Merdeka Palace, Defense Minister Mahfud M.D. said on Tuesday that President Abdurrahman Wahid will soon reply to the House memorandum of censure for his alleged involvement in the two financial scandals.

"The answers will be limited to the contents of the memorandum which are about the Bulog and Brunei scandals," he told reporters after meeting Abdurrahman at the palace, without giving a date.

Mahfud said it had yet to be determined whether Abdurrahman will send just a written reply to the DPR or deliver the answers in person at a hearing.

Mahfud and Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono have been assigned to prepare the answers for the President.

Abdurrahman has insisted that he is innocent. (bby/byg)