Mega returns home to Sukhoi probe
Mega returns home to Sukhoi probe
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
President Megawati Soekarnoputri returned home from a 10-day
Asian tour on Friday to face mounting allegations of corruption,
collusion, and nepotism (KKN) in the purchase of four Russian-
made Sukhoi fighters and two Mi-35 assault helicopters.
Megawati and her entourage landed at the Halim Perdanakusuma
airport in Jakarta at 4:30 p.m. after a four-and-a-half hour
flight from Hanoi, the last leg of her tour to four nations,
including Bangladesh, Mongolia and Japan.
She was greeted by Vice President Hamzah Haz, Coordinating
Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, and a number of high-ranking military and civilian
officials.
In a brief statement to reporters, Megawati said the state
visits had been successful and fruitful in that they generated
commitments to enhance relations in various sectors with each of
the four countries.
Briefing the press before leaving Hanoi, Megawati questioned
comments suggesting the involvement of her close family members,
especially her daughter, in the acquisition of Sukhoi jet
fighters and Mi-35 helicopters.
"There are suspicions of possible mark-ups, corruption and I
even heard on TV that my daughter was related to the case. It is
not fair to drag my daughter into the Sukhoi issue," Megawati
said.
"I have spoken to my ministers and officials to prepare for
the probe by the House's working committee," Megawati was quoted
by Antara as saying.
Megawati was referring to the working committee set up by the
House of Representatives (DPR) to investigate alleged
irregularities in the acquisition of the warplanes from Russia in
April.
The committee, known as Panja, planned to look into why the
government decided to buy Sukhois and the process. Legislators
have accused the government of bypassing them in buying the
planes.
Some legislators alleged the involvement of Megawati's son-in-
law Happy Hapsoro, the husband of her only daughter Puan
Maharani.
The Panja will begin the probe on Monday, summoning several
businessmen and former government officials believed to have
knowledge of the deal.
Many analysts believe the probe would not unseat Megawati from
her presidential post but severely affect her presidential bid in
the 2004 election, when the country is scheduled to hold the
first ever direct presidential election.
The furor began when Minister of Finance Boediono refused to
pay the downpayment for the US$192.6 million deal without the
approval of the House as the fund was not allocated in the 2003
State Budget.
Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil later told the House
that his office, which has the authority to purchase military
equipment, was never involved in the discussion to buy the
aircraft.
Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto,
however, said on Friday that the defense ministry knew about the
plan but declined to comment on whether the deal followed the
standard procedures.
"I do not understand about the procedures, but it is
impossible that the ministry of defense did not know anything
about the deal, as the plan to buy warplanes had been discussed
in 1994," he said.
Indonesia signed a contract to buy 12 Sukhoi warplanes in
1994, but the deal was canceled in 1997 amid the economic crisis.
Endriartono said the decision to buy Sukhoi was taken as the
moment was right to get the sophisticated equipment at a
reasonable price and through a counter-trade deal.