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)