Hari shuns demand for Puteh suspension

Hari shuns demand for Puteh suspension

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Interim coordinating minister for security and political affairs
Hari Sabarno dismissed on Thursday suggestions to suspend
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Governor Abdullah Puteh, who has been
named a suspect in a corruption case.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri, during a televised dialog
featuring presidential candidates on Wednesday, supported the
public's demand that Puteh be declared nonactive, pending the
completion of the legal process against him.

Responding to a question from a panelist during the live
dialog, Megawati said Puteh's suspension would ensure the
continuation of the provincial administration and public
services.

"Indeed (she agreed to the suspension), but Bu Mega has yet to
settle the administrative aspects. There is no decree (to suspend
Puteh) yet," Hari said after a security meeting.

Hari insisted he would only suspend Puteh upon the President's
order.

"The KPK should ask the President, not me. I am not his
(Puteh's) supervisor," he said, referring to the Corruption
Eradication Commission.

The Commission has named Puteh a suspect in the graft case
involving a mark-up in the 2002 purchase of a Russian Mi-2
helicopter by the Aceh administration for Rp 12.6 billion
(US$1.34 million), which is believed to have caused Rp 4 billion
in state losses.

Last month, Hari sent a letter to the KPK, asking the
Commission to give "room and space for Puteh to conduct his
duties as the head of the state of civil emergency in Aceh".

KPK deputy Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas said the Commission was
preparing to order Puteh's formal suspension.

Under Law No. 30/2003 on the KPK, the Commission has the
authority to order the suspension of a state official who is
named a suspect for investigative purposes.

In other developments, the immigration office slapped a six-
month travel ban on another suspect, Bram H.D. Manoppo, the
director of PT Putra Pobiagan Mandiri, which brokered the
helicopter's purchase. The ban is effective starting June 30.

Separately, former secretary of the coordinating minister for
political and security affairs Lt. Gen. Sudi Silalahi disclosed
additional corruption cases allegedly involving Puteh during the
martial law in Aceh over the past year.

"The monitoring team on Aceh operations has concluded that at
least 21 cases of alleged irregularities were found during the
first six months of martial law. More suspicious expenditures
were also uncovered from the huge budget allocated for the second
phase of martial law," said Sudi, who is a former member of the
government's martial law monitoring team.

The government had allocated Rp 1.7 trillion for the first six
months of the integrated operation in Aceh.

The monitoring team, which also reviewed budget spending,
concluded that Aceh administration officials were responsible for
mark-ups found in the procurement of materials for construction
projects, some of which were also fictitious.

The officials had also failed to channel humanitarian funds to
Acehnese people who were affected by the conflict.

In its report, the team recommended that the government
prosecute all Aceh officials responsible for the irregularities,
but did not identify whom.

The report was submitted to Hari, who is in charge of the
daily implementation of martial law in Aceh.

"The KPK should investigate cases implicating Aceh
officials ... maybe Abdullah Puteh," Sudi said.

Later in the day, a coalition of anticorruption non-
governmental organizations visited the KPK, demanding that it
exercise its power to take whatever steps necessary against
corruption suspects.