House to summon former officials

House to summon former officials

JAKARTA: The leadership of the House of Representatives (DPR)
has put its support behind moves by a team of members of House
Commission I to summon former ministers/state secretaries from
the Suharto regime to the present to shed light on the
Presidential Assistance Fund (Banpres).

"Go ahead if (the team) wants to ask for clarification. The
House leadership will send the invitation," deputy House speaker
Soetardjo Soerjogoeritno said after a meeting with the House
Commission I team.

Soetardjo said the team, which was tasked to verify documents
on Banpres submitted by current State Secretary Bambang Kesowo,
was still trying to establish the total amount of funds and its
channeling mechanism.

The team's secretary Happy Bone Zulkarnaen said that documents
submitted by Bambang concerned not only the funds President
Megawati Soekarnoputri donated to the Indonesian Military and
police in February but also other expenditure.

"That is why we want an explanation and clarification from the
former state ministers on policy, sources of the funds and the
transfer process from one state secretary to another," Happy
said.

Former ministers/state secretaries who would be summoned
include Moerdiono, Muladi, and Bondan Gunawan. Moerdiono is
expected to come to the House on June 19. -- Antara