House to decide on Akbar query on Thursday

Kurniawan Hari and Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The question of whether the House of Representatives will form a special committee to probe a Rp 54.6 billion (about US$5 million) scandal, in which House Speaker Akbar Tandjung has been implicated, will be answered soon when its Consultative Body (Bamus) convenes a meeting on Thursday.

The meeting will specifically discuss a proposal submitted by 50 legislators from various factions in the House for such a committee.

"The proposal will be discussed at a Bamus meeting on Thursday," House Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Akbar, also chairman of the Golkar Party, has been implicated in the suspected misuse of funds belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) when he served as state secretary in 1999 during former president BJ Habibie's rule.

Akbar has admitted that he disbursed Rp 40 billion of the funds in two installments to the Islamic Raudlatul Jannah Foundation for humanitarian programs during the peak of the country's economic crisis

Many have alleged that the money was used to finance Golkar's campaign activities as then embattled Habibie was struggling for presidential reelection.

Legislator Ali Masykur Musa of the National Awakening Party (PKB), which has been at the forefront for calls for the House to probe the issue, admitted that his party hoped the demanded committee would put "moral pressure" on Akbar to quit as House speaker.

"But everything depends on the mechanism agreed upon by factions and House leaders," Ali said, adding that the move was aimed at preventing similar graft cases from recurring.

The House formed a similar committee to investigate another Bulog scandal involving Rp 35 billion allegedly involving former president Abdurrahman Wahid, his masseur Suwondo and Bulog's ex- deputy chief Sapuan.

The first Bulog scandal precipitated Abdurrahman's exit from the State Palace in July after the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the nation's top legislature, impeached him despite the absence of a trial concerning the charges.

Public pressure has mounted for the House to launch an inquiry into Akbar concerning the latest Bulog scandal. Many proreform organizations and legal activists have urged the House to respond positively to demands for probes into any corruption charges against state officers, including Akbar.

But unlike with the previous Bulog investigation, most legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Golkar Party -- the two biggest factions in the House -- are likely to oppose an inquiry into the Akbar case.

The PDI Perjuangan, however, said on Tuesday it had made a certain decision in regard to the demand for a House special committee, but declined to publicly announce it.

"We will not announce the decision. Just wait for our move in the House," PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Soetjipto said, admitting that the decision was reached after considering the "existing political situation".

Sources within the party told The Jakarta Post that PDI Perjuangan would fully support the establishment of such a special committee, but it was not clear whether the backing was a political maneuver for its own interests.

Some lawmakers from different parties have also questioned the effectiveness of a special committee.

Alvin Lie of the Reform faction and Ade Komaruddin of the Golkar faction gave the thumbs-down to the proposal. "I don't like the way they (PKB legislators) seek support. Perhaps they think political bargaining is an easy thing," Alvin said.

Both Alvin and Ade were coordinators for the setting-up of the previous special committee to investigate the first Bulog scam.

Akbar confirmed on Tuesday that he had received a second summons for questioning on Thursday at the Attorney General's Office (AGO), and said he would comply with the order.

"I have been asked to give more explanations to the AGO at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday," he told journalists.

It will be the second round of questioning for Akbar in connection with the scandal. The new summons followed the recent discovery of two incriminating receipts allegedly signed by Golkar treasurers Fadel Muhammad and Muhammad S. Hidayat.

"I do not know what they (prosecutors) are going to ask me about. Any matter that they want further clarification from me, I will give them," Akbar said of the second summons.

Separately on Tuesday, Akbar's lawyers Hotma Sitompoel and Ruhut Sitompul said the Attorney General's Office could not charge his client only based on copies of the two receipts.

"Such copies cannot be considered as legal evidence. It's merely rubbish," Hotma told The Jakarta Post.