Moerdiono questioned over Tommy's project

Moerdiono questioned over Tommy's project

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office grilled former
minister/state secretary Moerdiono for more than two hours on
Friday over a questionable Rp 52.5 billion land deal in Jakarta
involving the youngest son of former president Soeharto, Hutomo
Mandala Putra.

Moerdiono was questioned over the sale of the National
Logistics Agency's (Bulog) property in Kelapa Gading, North
Jakarta, in 1996 to PT Goro Batara Sakti, the giant supermarket
chain in which Tommy, as the businessman is popularly known,
owned some shares.

"Bulog warehouses were moved because the vicinity had become a
residential area, so it was no longer suitable for it," Moerdiono
told reporters.

The former key aide of Soeharto added that Bulog's delivery
trucks had also caused problems for traffic in the area.

"The land swap had Soeharto's permission and as a
minister/state secretary my duty was only to convey that decision
to the concerned parties," Moerdiono said.

Tommy has fallen under suspicion in the case and has been
banned from leaving the country.

The investigation focused on a contract Bulog signed to sell
its Kelapa Gading property to Goro. Under the exchange, the state
agency would receive a 63 hectare lot in Marunda, North Jakarta,
estimated to be worth Rp 52.5 billion.

However, Bulog had only received eight hectares of the land
entitlement and the state agency had even forked out Rp 32.5
billion for the property which should have been paid by Goro.

In addition, Bulog also provided a guarantee for a Rp 20
billion loan which Goro took out from Bank Bukopin to purchase
the Marunda land.

PT Goro Batara Sakti used to run two giant supermarkets in
Kelapa Gading and on Jl. Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta. The Pasar
Minggu outlet was burnt down during the May riots and has not
reopened since.

Tommy early last year sold his entire share in Goro to Puskud,
a government cooperative.

Also barred from making overseas travel are the other two main
figures in the investigation: Ricardo Gelael of the Gelael
supermarket chain, and Beddu Amang, the former Bulog chairman.

Beddu was replaced in August amid growing accusations of gross
inefficiency and corruption within the state agency. (byg)