Habibie fails to heed summons
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former president B.J. Habibie failed to answer a summons on Wednesday by prosecutors investigating a financial scandal involving Rp 54.6 billion (US$5 million) in funds from State Logistics Agency (Bulog), and denied any wrongdoing in the disbursement of the funds.
Habibie instead sent a written reply to the Attorney General's Office, saying he did approve the disbursement of Rp 50 billion from Bulog, but that he knew nothing about the remaining Rp 4.6 billion.
His lawyer Yan Djuanda Saputra said Habibie was performing the minor haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and would be prepared to face questioning here in the future if necessary.
Djuanda said the fund disbursement was agreed to during a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 10, 1999 to buy basic foodstuffs for the underprivileged.
"The meeting was attended by state secretary/cabinet minister Akbar Tandjung, coordinating minister of social welfare and poverty eradication Haryono Suyono and Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan," Djuanda told reporters at the Attorney General's Office.
"During the meeting, my client agreed to the disbursement of Rp 50 billion of the Bulog funds to purchase basic commodities ... the remaining Rp 4.6 billion was Rahardi's responsibility," he added.
The funds were also intended to beef up security "to safeguard the reform efforts", Djuanda said without elaborating.
"There was nothing wrong with the policy," he said. "The economic crisis was at its peak at the time and he (Habibie) had to do something to help those worst affected by the crisis. He would have been wrong if he hadn't made such a decision."
Habibie should have been questioned as a witness in connection with the scam implicating his former cabinet ministers, including Rahardi, ex-military commander Gen. (ret) Wiranto and House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who is also the Golkar Party chairman.
Rahardi, who has been named a suspect, had said Akbar received Rp 40 billion of the funds and Wiranto Rp 10 billion, while the remaining Rp 4.6 billion was disbursed to fund a land-swap deal between the Bulog and PT Goro Batara Sakti, owned by Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.
In the face of allegations that the funds were used to finance Golkar's campaign activities ahead of the 1999 General Elections and the operations of pro-Jakarta militias in East Timor, Akbar claimed that he gave the money to the Raudlatul Jannah Foundation for humanitarian programs.
He also said the appointment of the little-known foundation was recommended by Haryono, who later denied Akbar's claim.
Djuanda said Habibie was not responsible for any possible misappropriation of the disbursed funds. "My client was surprised over the alleged misuse of the money as he had never heard of any problems in the implementation of the humanitarian project."
However, the lawyer admitted that Habibie had never received an official report on the programs either from Akbar or Haryono.
Meanwhile, Attorney General's Office spokesman Muljohardjo said his office would probably issue a second summons for Habibie next week, brushing aside the possibility of questioning him in Germany, where the former president is living with his wife Hasri Ainun Habibie.
Muljohardjo also confirmed that Akbar had been summoned again for further questioning on Thursday following the discovery of incriminating receipts apparently signed by Golkar's treasurers Fadel Muhammad and Muhammad S. Hidayat.