Gus Dur admitted he was wrong: Ex-police chief

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)