Habibie and Akbar trade more barbs

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.