Gus Dur to meet House members on Monday

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid has agreed to meet on Monday, the House of Representatives special committee, which is investigating two financial scandals allegedly implicating the President, the committee's chairman said Sunday.

Abdurrahman has sent a letter accepting the committee's invitation to meet at a neutral location, Bachtiar Chamsyah told journalists.

Bachtiar Chamsyah said that it had been decided the meeting would take place on Monday at 4 p.m. at the Jakarta Convention Center.

"I am thankful to the President for respecting the constitution. This will be a good opportunity for the special commission to seek clarification from the President concerning matters which had been previously stated by witnesses," he said.

The House special committee is seeking to question Abdurrahman about the fraudulent withdrawal of Rp 35 billion (US$3.2 million) from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) by his masseur, and the fate of a US$2 million donation from the Sultan of Brunei, which the President claims was a personal gift.

Hundreds of protesters opposing Abdurrahman staged mass demonstrations outside the House complex last week, demanding that Abdurrahman answer the corruption charges or step down.

Abdurrahman has refused to answer a summons to appear in front of the special committee, claiming that he is not accountable to the House investigation.

However he said last week that he would invite the investigation team to meet him outside the House, where they could ask their questions, or he could answer a summons if it was issued by a plenary session of the House.

The commission is scheduled to reveal their findings on the scandal before a House plenary session on Jan. 29.

Later on Sunday, a source at the presidential palace confirmed that Abdurrahman will meet the House special committee on Monday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, informed The Jakarta Post that a meeting previously arranged for Tuesday afternoon at the presidential palace, had been changed because Abdurrahman will meet with visiting Brazilian President Fernando Hendrique Cardoso on Tuesday. (dja/byg)