House committee invites President on Jan. 17

JAKARTA (JP): A House of Representatives special committee has invited President Abdurrahman Wahid to clarify his alleged involvement in two financial scandals on Jan. 17, the committee's deputy chairman said on Wednesday.

"Refusal to meet the invitation means the President disrespects the House and democracy," Alvin Lie of the National Mandate Party (PAN) said after meeting with a group of students from the Indonesian Student Consortium.

Alvin claimed the committee would likely refuse any offer to question Abdurrahman at the presidential palace, saying this step would only undermine the committee.

The committee will go to Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta to question Suwondo, a suspect in the case revolving around Rp 35 billion that was illegally withdrawn from the State Logistics Agency's (Bulog) employee foundation.

"If Abdurrahman was in jail, we might visit him there," Alvin said.

He said he hoped the committee could complete its investigation with or without the President's testimony, and report the results to a House plenary session on Jan. 29.

He dismissed speculation the committee had run out of steam now that the House was in recess. Alvin said the committee appeared to be inactive because it was currently compiling the testimony of some 30 witnesses.

"How come he (the President) thinks we have collapsed and given up. We will continue to prove that President was involved in the scandals," he said.

Alvin and the committee's other members, Ade Komaruddin of Golkar Party, Suryadharma Ali of the United Development Party (PPP) and Julius Usman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), denied the President's recent statement that he had fended off the committee.

The President said at the Indonesian World Council for Religion and Peace forum on Monday he was inspired by the legendary catenaccio defense that led the Italian soccer team to the 1982 World Cup in taking on the special committee.

The President earlier said the committee was illegal because it was not registered in the state gazette, as required by Law No. 6/1954 on the House's right to conduct an inquiry.

Julius said the President's continuous counterattacks indicated he was involved in the financial scandals.

"He had better keep quiet if he feels he is not guilty, merely because we have not concluded anything. By attacking us, we suspect he knew of the scandals." (jun)