Gus Dur will not be summoned: Officer

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