Legislators zero in on Akbar's riddles

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.