Major factions oppose questioning over Bulog scandal

Major factions oppose questioning over Bulog scandal

JAKARTA (JP): Five major factions at the House of
Representatives will recommend that faction members, who were on
a special committee investigating two financial scandals
allegedly linked to President Abdurrahman Wahid, defy summonses
for questioning.

Legislator Hamdan Zoelva said after the factions' closed-door
meeting here on Tuesday that the Attorney General's Office had no
right to summons 50 members of the House committee because the
investigation was done on behalf of the House and it was
therefore the legislative body as an institution that ruled that
the President was implicated in the scams.

"The 50 legislators cannot testify because no suspects were
declared in the House's report. The Attorney General's Office
could only learn the committee's investigation result in its
investigation into the two financial scandals," Hamdan said.

The factions represent the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Golkar Party, the Crescent Star
Party (PBB), the United Development Party (PPP) and a coalition
of National Mandate Party (PAN) and several tiny Muslim-based
parties.

Separately, House Speaker Akbar Tandjung said the Attorney
General's Office had no adequate reason to summons the former
special committee members because besides being illogical, the
House provided only a report on the two scandals to be followed
up in accordance with the law.

The joint statement issued by the major factions came after
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on Monday that resistance
displayed by the legislators against the planned questioning was
baseless.

Marzuki said on Monday the questioning was a prerequisite for
a legal proceeding, and insisted that the legislators meet his
office's summons because their testimony was necessary in order
to complete the investigation into the cases.

"We need to take their clarifications over their inquiry
report as the ones who filed complaints," he said.

Abdurrahman gave consent last week to the state prosecutors to
summons the legislators.

The House alleged that the President played a role in the
scams after its four-month inquiry into the fraudulent withdrawal
of Rp 35 billion belonging to State Logistics Agency (Bulog)
employee foundation and of US$2 million in humanitarian aid he
accepted from the Brunei sultan.

The inquiry result provided the House with a basis to censure
the President and to recommend that a legal process follow its
report. The cases are currently being tackled by the Attorney
General's Office and the National Police.

Marzuki said his office did not plan to summons the House
members in the immediate future, but said they would be the first
to undergo questioning.

"We will summon the former special committee members only if
necessary, so just take it easy. Please don't be preoccupied with
this or anxious," he said, adding that no suspect had been named
in the case.

The state prosecutors questioned on Tuesday Teti Nursetiati,
the wife of the main defendant in the Bulog scandal, Muhammad
Alip Agung Suwondo, as a witness.

Teti told journalists that she went to the office to also
clarify her husband's position in the case.

"Media reports on the case have zeroed in on my family, so now
I want to clear everything before the prosecutors," she said.

Her lawyer, Denny Azani B. Latief, said he would ask the
prosecutors to question the House legislators.

"If the state prosecutors have not yet questioned those who
filed the case, then the case should be considered nonexistent,"
he said. (bby/rms)