House gets report on scandals

JAKARTA (JP): After a series of intense lobbying, the House of Representatives plenary session on Monday eventually received the report of the special House committee's investigation of two financial scandals and officially dissolved the committee.

The report on the Rp 35 billion (US$3.9 million) scandal at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and the $2 million donation from the Sultan of Brunei, was handed over to the House leadership by chairman of the special committee Bachtiar Chamsyah in a closed-door session.

House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, who presided over the plenary session, said copies of the report would be made available to all House factions and legislators and that the factions would present their positions in a plenary session on Thursday.

"The House will decide whether to accept or reject the report in the plenary session and the factions will also present their evaluations of the special committee's financial account and the way the investigation has been carried out," Akbar said after the meeting.

He said the report was received after the House secured approval from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction.

Secretary of PKB faction, Abdul Khaliq Achmad, said his faction accepted the report with a reservation that the special committee would present its monthly reports and the financial report of the four-month investigation.

"Our faction will sue those who are believed to have leaked the results of the committee's investigation to the press," he said.

The session was marked by the walkout of PKB legislators Ali Masjkur Musa, Radjil Gufron, Sri Oetari, Effendi Choirie and Ali As'ad after learning that their protest had gained no response.

"The special committee and the House leadership did not listen to our faction's objections over the violations," said Ali Masjkur Musa, another member of the PKB faction.

House factions had to caucus in three lobbying sessions when the plenary session failed to reach consensus over the disputed investigation procedures.

The session was interrupted twice when the PKB faction and several legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) challenged the lawfulness of the committee.

Ali As'ad, a PKB legislator and legislators Dimyati Hartono and Panda Nababan of the PDI Perjuangan faction, interrupted the meeting because the special committee failed to give the House leadership its monthly reports as required by the House's internal rules and because the investigation results had been leaked to the press.

Only half an hour after the opening of the session at 9:30 a.m., House speaker Akbar Tandjung had to suspend the meeting because many of the legislators, especially from PKB, interrupted the session claiming that the committee was illegal.

House leaders then lobbied chairpersons of House factions to let Bachtiar Chamsyah, chairman of the committee, give an opening statement and submit the written report.

However, when the plenary session was about to resume at about 12 p.m., the PKB faction asked for permission to hold an internal meeting and the session was suspended again.

Around 1:30 p.m. the legislators reentered the plenary hall, but this time four PKB legislators had their microphones on so the House speaker could not use his to open the session. The session was adjourned again.

Afterwards, Deputy House speaker Muhaimin Iskandar said the committee had violated procedures and claimed that some PDI Perjuangan legislators had similar views.

"I held a meeting last night (Sunday night) with several PDI Perjuangan members to discuss the procedural problem of the special committee," Muhaimin told journalists.

Legislators of other factions, however, disagreed with the PKB faction, "PDI Perjuangan's stance is to let the committee submit the results and then on Feb. 1 we (legislators) will decide," PDI Perjuangan faction secretary Pramono Anung said.

Ferry Mursyidan Baldan from Golkar Party said that the House should accept the results then announce its decision on Feb. 1.

Earlier, legislator Mochtar Buchori from PDI Perjuangan said the party's chairperson, Megawati Soekarnoputri, had ordered the faction to stick with the findings, but should not declare Gus Dur guilty.

However, Mochtar said that PDI Perjuangan would issue a strong warning over the President's leadership style.

When asked whether the warning should be in the form of a memorandum, Mochtar said: "Yes, I think so." (dja/rms)