Habibie and Akbar trade more barbs

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former president B.J. Habibie and Golkar chief Akbar Tandjung, both implicated in an alleged financial scandal, have continued to make conflicting claims about the disputed 1999 food-for-the- poor project.

Habibie said he had never received even a verbal report from Akbar about the use of Rp 54.6 billion, belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), for the project.

But Akbar, state secretary at the time of the disputed events, gave a differing account.

"I gave him a verbal report. It was before my resignation as minister/state secretary," Akbar who is now Speaker of the House of Representatives told the press after closing a legislative meeting session here on Wednesday.

Akbar said he had not delivered his report in a cabinet meeting but during the course of a daily conversation. He said he would be prepared to provide a clarification if the Attorney General's Office required additional information.

Habibie's lawyer Yan Djuanda said his client had never received a report on the food aid program or on Akbar's appointment of the Raudhatul Jannah foundation to handle the program.

"During questioning by the investigative attorney, Mr. Habibie said he had never received any report from Akbar Tandjung, either verbal or written," Yan was quoted as saying by Antara in Hamburg, Germany.

The Attorney General's Office sent a team to Hamburg this week to question Habibie over the alleged misappropriation of the Rp54.6 billion in Bulog funds.

The conflicting statements presented by the two men have raised the heat surrounding the scandal. The question now is, what implications will this battle of words have for Habibie and Akbar?

Legal expert Satjipto Rahardjo from Diponegoro University said the statements required further checking before any final decisions could be made.

"Statements from the two figures (Habibie and Akbar) must be checked against the facts," Satjipto told The Jakarta Post via telephone.

Asked if there was adequate evidence to declare Akbar a suspect in the case, Satjipto said it would all depend on the investigators from the Attorney General's Office.

Habibie has been living in Germany to help get better medical treatment for his ailing wife, Hasri Ainun Habibie.

The Office had earlier declared former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan a suspect in this case. Rahardi admitted to disbursing Rp40 billion to Akbar and Rp10 billion to Wiranto, a former defense and security minister.

The remaining Rp 4.6 billion was used for the cancellation of a land-swap deal between Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra's PT Goro Batara Sakti and Bulog.

Speculation is rife that Akbar spent the funds to finance Habibie's political campaign for presidential reelection in 1999.

Legislators have agreed to discuss the possibility of forming an inquiry into this case during a Jan. 21 session.

Commenting on this, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais gave an assurance that he would support the establishment of an inquiry team. He said the team would impose pressure on the Attorney General's Office to speed up its investigation.

"I think if the legal process is strengthened, the inquiry team will lose its relevance. But if the process is weak, the team will be very relevant," he said.

Amien added the whole nation should adopt a wait and see approach to the legal process in the case.

Most political parties reportedly received nonbudgetary Bulog funds but Amien, who is also chairman of the National Mandate Party, has denied receiving any of the money.