Legislator sues Bulog chief for slander over scam
Legislator sues Bulog chief for slander over scam
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) legislator Suko
Sudarso filed a defamation suit against National Logistics Agency
(Bulog) chief Rizal Ramli with the National Police Headquarters
on Tuesday over his accusation of the legislator's involvement in
the Rp 35 billion (US$4.1 million) scam.
"Rizal has accused me of embezzling part of Rp 35 billion in
the scam... I plan to sue him in both civil and criminal courts
and demand compensation for his slanderous statements," Suko,
also deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party for
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Research and Development Department,
told reporters.
The scandal, which revolves around the disbursement of Rp 35
billion from the Bulog employees-owned foundation Yanatera,
allegedly involves no less than the President's masseur, Suwondo.
"Rizal has spoiled my reputation... no, there is no way that
the money from the scam was ever divided between PDI Perjuangan
members. It's all a big lie," Suko said.
In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, former minister of
industry and trade/Bulog chief Yusuf Kalla was questioned over
his alleged involvement in the scam by two Jakarta Police
detectives at his house on Jl. Haji Bau No. 3 here on Tuesday
afternoon.
During a 30-minute questioning at Jusuf's backyard which began
around 12 p.m., Maj. Joko and Capt. Aminullah asked six questions
to the former minister over the Bulog scam.
Yusuf, who was accompanied by his lawyers Ali Abbas and Asmaun
Abbas, later told media that the police wanted to ask about the
disbursement of the Rp 35 million Bulog fund.
"I told (the police) that I have no knowledge of what happened
because before the money was disbursed I rejected Sapuan's
request to cash in around Rp 10 billion of the Bulog fund," Jusuf
said.
"Sapuan once came to me (when Yusuf was the Bulog chief) and
said that he had met with the President about the Bulog fund
disbursement.
"Sapuan said the President had approved it, but since there
was no official letter or written proof, I rejected the demand,"
Yusuf said.
Sapuan said he has met with the President on Jan. 7 this year
and that the President wanted the money for humanitarian aid in
Aceh, Yusuf said.
"Sapuan said the money was for Aceh. I said okay, as long as
there is written proof and the party responsible for this money
is made clear. But since he failed to show me the official
letter, I did not approve the disbursement. This is quite a lot
of money and safety is important," Jusuf told media.
"It turned out that Sapuan disbursed around Rp 35 billion from
the foundation fund. And I made it clear to the police that the
action was committed without my knowledge or approval," Yusuf
said.
Yusuf also said that he was contacted by Foreign Affairs
Minister Alwi Shihab on April 3.
"Pak Alwi asked me whether there was a Bulog fund disbursement
and for how much. He's the one who informed me about the matter,"
Yusuf said.
The detectives refused to reveal the results of the
questioning to media.
"I'm not authorized to do so and we will directly give the
results to Jakarta," Maj. Joko told media.
A day earlier in Jakarta, a lawyer for Bulog deputy chief
Sapuan, one of the main suspects in the scandal, said he agreed
to disburse the funds because he believed he was acting under
presidential orders.
"Sapuan met with President Abdurrahman Wahid on Jan. 7, on
which date the President said he needed money totaling Rp 35
billion for humanitarian aid in Aceh," Sapuan's lawyer Isnul
Tandjung said on Monday.
Later in the evening, Bondan Gunawan -- acting State Secretary
and Secretary of Government Supervision -- announced his
resignation, saying that he had nothing to do with the scam but
was just being used as an intermediate target before the
president.
Bondan allegedly received some of the money. (27/edt/ylt)
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) legislator Suko
Sudarso filed a defamation suit against National Logistics Agency
(Bulog) chief Rizal Ramli with the National Police Headquarters
on Tuesday over his accusation of the legislator's involvement in
the Rp 35 billion (US$4.1 million) scam.
"Rizal has accused me of embezzling part of Rp 35 billion in
the scam... I plan to sue him in both civil and criminal courts
and demand compensation for his slanderous statements," Suko,
also deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party for
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Research and Development Department,
told reporters.
The scandal, which revolves around the disbursement of Rp 35
billion from the Bulog employees-owned foundation Yanatera,
allegedly involves no less than the President's masseur, Suwondo.
"Rizal has spoiled my reputation... no, there is no way that
the money from the scam was ever divided between PDI Perjuangan
members. It's all a big lie," Suko said.
In Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi, former minister of
industry and trade/Bulog chief Yusuf Kalla was questioned over
his alleged involvement in the scam by two Jakarta Police
detectives at his house on Jl. Haji Bau No. 3 here on Tuesday
afternoon.
During a 30-minute questioning at Jusuf's backyard which began
around 12 p.m., Maj. Joko and Capt. Aminullah asked six questions
to the former minister over the Bulog scam.
Yusuf, who was accompanied by his lawyers Ali Abbas and Asmaun
Abbas, later told media that the police wanted to ask about the
disbursement of the Rp 35 million Bulog fund.
"I told (the police) that I have no knowledge of what happened
because before the money was disbursed I rejected Sapuan's
request to cash in around Rp 10 billion of the Bulog fund," Jusuf
said.
"Sapuan once came to me (when Yusuf was the Bulog chief) and
said that he had met with the President about the Bulog fund
disbursement.
"Sapuan said the President had approved it, but since there
was no official letter or written proof, I rejected the demand,"
Yusuf said.
Sapuan said he has met with the President on Jan. 7 this year
and that the President wanted the money for humanitarian aid in
Aceh, Yusuf said.
"Sapuan said the money was for Aceh. I said okay, as long as
there is written proof and the party responsible for this money
is made clear. But since he failed to show me the official
letter, I did not approve the disbursement. This is quite a lot
of money and safety is important," Jusuf told media.
"It turned out that Sapuan disbursed around Rp 35 billion from
the foundation fund. And I made it clear to the police that the
action was committed without my knowledge or approval," Yusuf
said.
Yusuf also said that he was contacted by Foreign Affairs
Minister Alwi Shihab on April 3.
"Pak Alwi asked me whether there was a Bulog fund disbursement
and for how much. He's the one who informed me about the matter,"
Yusuf said.
The detectives refused to reveal the results of the
questioning to media.
"I'm not authorized to do so and we will directly give the
results to Jakarta," Maj. Joko told media.
A day earlier in Jakarta, a lawyer for Bulog deputy chief
Sapuan, one of the main suspects in the scandal, said he agreed
to disburse the funds because he believed he was acting under
presidential orders.
"Sapuan met with President Abdurrahman Wahid on Jan. 7, on
which date the President said he needed money totaling Rp 35
billion for humanitarian aid in Aceh," Sapuan's lawyer Isnul
Tandjung said on Monday.
Later in the evening, Bondan Gunawan -- acting State Secretary
and Secretary of Government Supervision -- announced his
resignation, saying that he had nothing to do with the scam but
was just being used as an intermediate target before the
president.
Bondan allegedly received some of the money. (27/edt/ylt)