Gus Dur questioned over Bulog scandal

JAKARTA (JP): Unlike the grilling of other witnesses in the Rp 35 billion State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scam, police took a more polite approach in questioning President Abdurrahman Wahid, who has been named a witness in the crime.

Taking place at the presidential palace on Friday night, the team of investigators from the Jakarta Police were escorted by several top-brass officers, including National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo, Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi, and the newly appointed Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Harry Montolalu.

When contacted on Saturday, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dadang Garnida confirmed the special treatment but refused to disclose the results of the questioning by the team led by former Jakarta Police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo.

According to Dadang, the results would be used by the Jakarta Police detectives to investigate the case further.

"The questioning was conducted for about three hours from 7 p.m. in which the team asked Gus Dur 12 questions," he said.

Gus Dur is the President's nickname.

Previously, most of the witnesses and suspects in the scam were questioned at the Jakarta Police headquarters and, after the questioning session, were surrounded by the waiting reporters.

According to Dadang, officer Alex, who has been promoted to Bandung Police chief after being replaced by Harry, was chosen to lead the questioning because, among other reasons, he has been handling the case from the very beginning.

Gus Dur has been named a suspect in the case in which his masseur, Suwondo, had allegedly received the Rp 35 billion taken from Bulog's employee foundation, Yanatera, which was allegedly then disbursed by the agency's deputy chairman Sapuan.

Suwondo, as claimed by Sapuan, acted on the President's behalf after Gus Dur held a meeting with Sapuan to request that the agency participate in a humanitarian program in the strife-torn province of Aceh.

A few days after being promoted, Alex said he believed that the President was clean of any wrongdoings and that Sapuan, who has been in police custody, was the main suspect in the case. Sapuan, he said, might have been attempting to win the President's favor by fulfilling his masseur's request, in the hope that one day he'd be appointed to head Bulog.

Separately, chief Rusdihardjo said that the questioning of the head of the state served to show the supremacy of the law.

"(The questioning) proved that everybody is equal before the law," Rusdihardjo said during an interview with SCTV.

The query, which was mostly unseen by the press, was initially scheduled for next Monday.

Dadang said that the change of schedule happened only because the President had a full schedule, especially on Monday and Tuesday. (08)