Gus Dur will not be summoned: Officer

JAKARTA (JP): While indicating that the police have secured President Abdurrahman Wahid's written testimony, Jakarta Police Detectives chief Sr. Supt. Harry Montolalu said on Thursday that it was no more essential for the President to appear in court for the trial of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandal.

"We already have the President's statement, which had been taken under oath. He doesn't need to appear in court.

"This is only a 'small' case," Harry said after a meeting between new Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman and reporters at Pulau Dua restaurant in South Jakarta.

Abdurrahman was questioned by police on June 23 over the scandal in which he had been closely related to.

The President has been named a witness in the case, which allegedly involved his former masseur Alip Agung Suwondo. Suwondo was the one who allegedly took the Rp 35 billion (US$4 million) fund belonging to Bulog employees foundation, Yanatera. The money was released upon the order of Bulog deputy chairman Sapuan.

Suwondo, as claimed by Sapuan, acted on the President's behalf after the latter held a meeting with Sapuan and asked agency to participate in a humanitarian program in the strife-torn Aceh province.

Separately, Suwondo's lawyers insisted that their client was innocent, saying that the fund was simply a loan deal between Suwondo and Sapuan.

One of Suwondo's lawyers, Indra Sahnun Lubis, said Suwondo first received two checks valued Rp 5 billion each from Sapuan on Jan. 5 as a gift over his help to get Sapuan appointed as Bulog deputy chief.

"Suwondo had never promised anything to Sapuan. He just told Sapuan to enchant several Koran phrases and to visit and give donation to certain Muslim boarding schools. After being installed as deputy chief, Sapuan gave the money as a present," he said on Thursday.

However, he added, in a later conversation with Suwondo, Sapuan asked for an audience with Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, hoping to become the Bulog's chief.

"Suwondo arranged the meeting but he promised Sapuan nothing. But, Sapuan later told him that during the meeting Gus Dur asked whether some of Bulog funds can be used for humanitarian aids in Aceh."

Few days later, Suwondo asked for a Rp 25 billion loan from Sapuan to expand a plantation business in Puncak area, West Java, he said.

On Jan. 15, Sapuan came over to bring the checks and a receipt which was then signed by Suwondo stating that he owed Sapuan a Rp 35 billion.

Indra said Sapuan apparently gave the money to Suwondo in return to his help to get Sapuan promoted as Bulog chairman.

Indra argued that his client was "too naive" to question where was the money from and why the first Rp 10 billion should be considered a loan instead of a gift. Suwondo had also failed to notice that Yanatera was stated in the checks.

"Apparently, it's Sapuan who abused my client. If it was said that Suwondo who had fooled Sapuan... how can a highly educated person can fully trust an ordinary man," he said.

Indra said the team of lawyers would ask the police to delay detention of Suwondo if the investigation failed to disclose that their client had committed any crimes.

A special committee of the House of Representatives had earlier requested the police to let them questioned Suwondo themselves.

However, Indra said that they would allow the House to question Suwondo only if the committee could guarantee that the police investigation into his client be halted.

Indra claimed that the case was a civil one because it centers around a personal loan from Sapuan to Suwondo.

Indra said Suwondo could not be netted by Article 460 of the Criminal Code for keeping the money as his client had no idea that the money was belonging to Yanatera. (bby/jaw)i