Legislators zero in on Akbar's riddles
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surakarta
Well aware that the creation of a special committee to investigate House Speaker Akbar Tandjung's alleged corruption may not materialize due to stiff opposition, legislators are setting up a contingency plan.
They will exploit Akbar's documented inconsistencies in public with regard to his role in siphoning off Rp 40 billion in National Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds in 1999 when he was minister/state secretary.
His critics have charged that the inconsistencies show that Akbar has been lying to the public, an unethical act, which by itself, may cost him his position as House speaker.
Akbar, who is also the Golkar Party chairman, has been under investigation by Attorney General's Office prosecutors for the past several weeks. But Golkar politicians have been scheming to buy time in an effort to thwart the establishment of the committee by those demanding justice.
Spearheaded by legislators from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the latest maneuver is intended to take Akbar to the House's Honorary Council for lying to the public.
Firman Jaya Daeli, a PDI Perjuangan legislator, said that while the efforts to form a special committee to probe Akbar's involvement in the Bulog scam would continue, he would also try to take the case to the House Honorary Council.
"We (PDI Perjuangan legislators) are lobbying other factions for support," Firman told The Jakarta Post.
The establishment of an Honorary Council is possible under Article 59 of the newly-enacted House internal regulations. The maximum sanction is dismissal, for any House member who breaches the law.
J.E. Sahetapy, another PDI Perjuangan legislator, said that it was indisputable that a senior state official was not supposed to breach his/her oath of office.
"The House internal rule clearly stipulates the sanction. The coming probe committee must recommend that the Honorary Council discharge him (Akbar)," said Sahetapy, who is a legal expert.
PDI Perjuangan's plan received strong support from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, which is also an adamant supporter for the establishment of a special investigation committee.
"Although we still are concentrating on the committee, we will gladly support this plan as well," said Ali Masykur Musa, chairman of the PKB faction.
The efforts to set up a special committee as demanded by 50 legislators, have received strong backing from Amien Rais, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly.
He said in Surakarta on Tuesday night that people implicated in "Buloggate II", as the scandal is called, should resign to clear the way for an investigation.
"Some people have given inconsistent statements and if this is tolerated, the investigation will go nowhere," he said.
Meanwhile, Golkar faction officials reacted angrily to the new idea to take the Akbar case to a House Honorary Council, saying that the Attorney General's Office was the only institution which had the authority to probe the case.
"Nobody has the authority to judge whether Akbar had lied to the public. Let's stick to the president's order to investigate the case through the legal process in the Attorney General's Office," Slamet Effendy Yusuf, a Golkar party executive said.
The House is scheduled to hold a plenary session on Thursday (today) to decide if the proposal on establishment of a special committee for the Akbar affair will be discussed in the upcoming sessions or not.
Pro-Akbar politicians in Golkar have threatened to expose other parties which also received the hot Bulog money in 1999.
Golkar officials critical of Akbar, particularly those from eastern Indonesia grouped in the Iramasuka forum, also favor the House committee.
Akbar Tandjung's documented statements
Akbar's story 1. He initially denied directly receiving the Bulog funds. 2. He later said Dadang Ruskandar (Bulog deputy), on behalf of Roudlatul Jannah foundation accepted the funds for relief operations. 3. He added that the naming of Roudlatul Jannah, to receive the funds, had been reported to three ministers (Haryono Suyono, Rahardi Ramelan and Muladi) 4. He also said the foundation was recommended by Haryono Suyono.
The inconsistencies 1. Former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan and the former Bulog deputy Ruskandar disputed Akbar's testimony. Akbar later admitted the fact that he directly received the checks in his office. 2. Evidence shows checks were accepted by Golkar Party treasurers Muhammad S. Hidayat and Fadel Muhammad. 3. All three ministers denied any knowledge of the foundation. 4. Haryono Suyono claimed he never made such a recommendation.