House set to probe Bulogate and Bruneigate
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid is set to come under more pressure in the next few months following a decision by the House of Representatives to follow-up its interpellation motion and to investigate the Bulogate and Bruneigate scandals.
A House inter-faction consultative body assigned to set the legislative body's agenda (Bamus) decided on Thursday to put the issues high on its priority list for the coming months.
"According to an agreement reached in the Bamus meeting, the House will hold a plenary session on Aug. 28 to decide whether the House will investigate Bulogate and Bruneigate," Ali Yahya of the Golkar Party faction said.
The plenary session is expected to accept a proposal to launch an investigation into the two scandals as 257 of the 500 House legislators had already inked their names to the proposal by Thursday.
They mostly comprise legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP) and Reform factions.
Ali said the House would set up a special committee to carry out the investigation if the proposal is accepted.
"The special committee will work to thoroughly investigate the disbursement of the Rp 35 billion in funds from Yanatera (a State Logistics Agency foundation) and the use of US$2 million in aid by the President from the Sultan of Brunei," he said.
The Bulog scandal came to the fore after it was alleged that Suwondo, the President's masseur, was able to obtain the release of Rp 35 billion from Sapuan at the Bulog foundation. Sapuan was Bulog's deputy chairman.
The President has insisted that he received the $2 million as a personal donation from the Brunei sultan for humanitarian aid for Aceh.
Ali said the President had never given an open explanation about the sultan's financial assistance.
"According to the law, financial aid granted by foreign countries to Indonesia must be inserted into the state budget," he said.
Interpellation
Meanwhile, 252 legislators have also signed a proposal for a right of opinion as a follow-up to the July interpellation motion which could also lead to another investigation.
Bachtiarchamsyah of the PPP faction said Bamus would also meet on Aug. 30 to set the date of another House plenary session to further discuss the interpellation motion.
He said legislators who initiated the interpellation motion had called for a House plenary session to issue a petition following the President's reluctance to openly explain his reasons for sacking two economic ministers in April.
"Despite the President's apology, most legislators are disappointed with his written answer because he failed to give evidence that the two ministers were involved in corruption, collusion and nepotism. The President must be consistent with what he has said," he said.
Asked if there were political motives behind the proposed investigation, Bachtiarchamsyah said it had nothing to do with the disappointment over the new Cabinet announced on Wednesday.
"These are two different and very separate things. The House is questioning the sacking of the two economic ministers, the use of Yanatera funds and the Sultan's financial aid in an endeavor to carry out its control function," he said.
He admitted that his party was disappointed with the new Cabinet but would not be suspicious of it.
"We will remain very critical of the government because we are here representing the people and paid to do our best," he said.
Ali said the House would certainly call for a thorough investigation by the Attorney General's Office if it found irregularities in the two scandals.
"While undergoing a fair investigation, the President must be nonactive," he remarked.
He also said the House could issue a memorandum if the President was found to have deceived the House over the sacking of the two economic ministers.
"This means the President must unveil evidence on the two ministers' involvement in the allegation of corruption," he said.
"The House will likely call for a special session of the MPR to impeach the President if he is found to have been deceitful over the sacking of the two ministers and involved in the two scandals," he said. (rms)