Muladi blames successor for graft in State Secretariat
Muladi blames successor for graft in State Secretariat
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former state secretary Muladi said on Tuesday he intended to
report his successor Ali Rahman to the police for manipulation
and deception over alleged corruption cases in the State
Secretariat.
Muladi, a legal expert who currently heads the National
Resilience Institute (Lemhannas) -- the government's think tank,
was speaking to journalists after being questioned by the
Attorney General's Office (AGO) as a witness in connection with
the alleged graft cases.
The questions were focused on the transfer by the State
Secretariat of a land concession in the Bung Karno Sports Stadium
complex to PT Indobuild, which is owned by businessman Pontjo
Sutowo.
The transfer took place when Muladi served as state secretary
during the B.J. Habibie administration in 1999. He was later
replaced by Ali Rahman who served in office for only three months
under the government of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid.
Muladi denied that he had issued any approval for the transfer
of the concession, instead blaming the case on Ali Rachman, whom
he said he would sue.
Muladi said he had refused to grant the concession to PT
Indobuild Co. until the company fulfilled certain obligations and
carried out the necessary study required by the Sports Stadium
complex's management.
As these conditions had not been fulfilled, Muladi said he had
never given his approval for the transfer.
Muladi accused Ali of having ordered his staff to steal some
signed documents from the State Secretariat and forward them to
the National Land Agency (BPN).
"Through such improper practices, the documents that I had
earlier prepared, but not issued, were ultimately issued and
given new numbers and dates to look as though they were issued
while I was still in office," he said as quoted by detikcom news
portal.
However, Muladi said he would wait for further developments in
the case at the AGO over the next few days before reporting Ali
to the police.
He said he could present witnesses to testify against Ali
Rahman, including document validation expert Erman Rajagukguk,
and two State Secretariat employees, Renaldi Gajuk and Mardowo.
Prosecutors have also questioned former Jakarta governor Ali
Sadikin in relation to a another transfer of land concessions in
the sports stadium complex. Other former state secretaries could
be summoned over similar cases.
The probe into corruption allegedly involving the State
Secretariat had been halted for several months reportedly due to
the late submission of audit reports by the Supreme Audit Agency
(BPK).