ICW reveals misuse of Rp 337b in Bulog cash
Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The need for transparency in the use of State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds has found a fresh cause as the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) disclosed on Wednesday an alleged misuse of over Rp 377 billion belonging to the institution between January 1998 and December 1999.
Claiming that the findings were based on his organization's investigation, ICW chairman Teten Masduki said portions of the money allegedly went to the House of Representatives, the Golkar Party, certain individuals, the State Palace, courts and prosecutors' offices.
"I have repeatedly said that the Attorney General's Office must not direct investigations simply to convict suspects in graft scams involving Bulog, but use the evidence to trace the funds... where did it all go?" Teten told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
In its report, ICW found that former Bulog chairman Rahardi Ramelan received Rp 51.5 billion. It did not say, however, when the money was transferred to Rahardi which was in the books as "state purposes".
Rahardi is standing trial for an alleged misuse of Bulog funds in 1999, which also implicated Golkar chairman and then state/minister of secretary Akbar Tandjung.
Bulog also disbursed Rp 5.2 billion for "fees for the handling of the corruption case on the Goro-Bulog landswap deal". The 1995 landswap case ended up with both former president Soeharto's son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra and ex-president of wholesale firm PT Goro Batara Sakti, Ricardo Gelael, sentenced to 18 months in prison.
There were expenditures categorized as "coordination funds" which went to, among others, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Audit Agency, the Development Finance Comptroller and the State Secretariat.
Golkar was the only political organization included on the list.
Teten's colleague, Zaki, added that ICW had planned to inform the Attorney General's Office about this matter. "We received this information recently... we analyzed it and just finished putting together the report on Tuesday," Zaki said.
Bulog Chief Widjanarko Puspojo and spokesman Subardjo could not be reached for comment on the findings.
ICW's report confirmed earlier findings by a group of legislators, who asked then attorney general Marzuki Darusman to investigate the alleged misuse of Bulog funds amounting to Rp 2 trillion between January 1998 and December 1999.
One of the legislators, Tarisiwi Utami of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction said on Wednesday that the Attorney General's Office needed to find out who received the funds.
A group of legislators, mostly from PKB and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) proposed in 2000 the establishment of a special committee to look into alleged misuse of Bulog funds. The motion was rejected by the House.
The alleged misuse of Bulog funds indirectly led to the ouster of former president Abdurrahman Wahid last year, although a formal investigation found no evidence of his involvement.
Teten did not reveal whether or not the graft case ICW had investigated and Tarisiwi had disclosed to the press on Wednesday was the same case.