House speaker Akbar hit by graft allegations
House speaker Akbar hit by graft allegations
JAKARTA (JP): Pressure has shifted to House of Representatives
Speaker Akbar Tandjung in the intensifying conflict among the
political elite in the country.
After President Abdurrahman Wahid's problem with the Rp 35
billion Bulog scandal, Akbar, who also chairs the Golkar Party,
will have to stave off allegations of corruption committed in the
past.
Akbar could not conceal his ire on Saturday when journalists
asked him about a motion demanded by the National Awakening Party
(PKB) to question irregularities discovered in the Civil Servants
Housing Savings (Taperum) scheme worth about Rp 179.9 billion
($19.3 million).
The savings arrangement was initiated during Akbar's service
as the state minister of public housing from 1993 until the
resignation of former president Soeharto in May 1998.
Akbar described the proposal for an investigation merely as a
pretext to take political revenge against him.
"If they want to find out the truth about Taperum, they should
ask my successor first," Akbar said on the sidelines of the
opening of the 44th Muhammadiyah congress at Senayan Stadium.
Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie, appointed Theo Sambuaga as
Akbar's successor. Akbar served as state secretary until his
resignation in April last year.
Citing a report from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the
legislator from PKB, Effendi Choirie, urged the House to launch
an official probe into the find, which is worth Rp 179.9 billion
from the total Rp 1.98 trillion fund.
"We want to show the public that the people who claim to be
reformists, have actually made mistakes in the past," Effendi
said on Friday.
Deputy speaker Muhaimin Iskandar, also from PKB, insisted,
however, that he had not received any reports about the proposal
for an inquiry.
"The faction (PKB) chairman did not report anything special to
me (about alleged corruption)," he told The Jakarta Post on
Saturday.
In 1993, then president Soeharto issued presidential Decree
No. 14, requiring the country's four million civil servants to
contribute between Rp 3,000 and Rp 10,000 of their monthly salary
to the housing scheme. The money was automatically deducted from
their salary by the state.
A civil servant who has worked for at least five years is
entitled to receive about Rp 1.5 million from the council to buy
a new house.
According to the decree, the fund is managed by the Advisory
Council for the Civil Servants Housing Savings. State minister of
public housing acts as the executive chairman of the council.
Press reports in 1997 quoted Akbar as saying 60 percent of the
total fund was managed by the council, while the rest was put
under the authority of the minister of finance.
"Please, it is their right to make an inquiry," Antara quoted
Akbar as saying in reaction to PKB's proposal.
Abdurrahman, who cofounded PKB two years ago, has repeatedly
declared his innocence in the State Logistics Agency (Bulog)
scandal.
His close aides, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Alwi
Shihab, has also made similar denials.
The scandal allegedly involved Abdurrahman's masseur Suwondo
and former Bulog deputy chief Sapuan. Suwondo is still at large
while Sapuan has been detained.
"I have completed my task as the minister of public housing
and handed the position over to my successor. You must ask him
first," Akbar said, referring to his successor Theo.
But while the inter-party wrangling continued, there was also
a glimmer of hope for better cooperation in the run-up to the
general session of the People's Consultative Assembly in August.
Sources told The Jakarta Post that President Abdurrahman
Wahid, Assembly Speaker Amien Rais, Akbar Tandjung and Minister
of Foreign Affairs Alwi Shihab met Thursday night at the Saphire
room of the Crown Plaza Hotel, South Jakarta.
On Saturday, Akbar Tandjung confirmed that the gathering took
place but refused to reveal the results of the meeting, saying
that it was only a dinner discussing the interpellation
motion.(dja/prb)