House set to probe Bulogate and Bruneigate

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)