National Police to quiz Puteh
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The National Police are to question Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh over his role in an alleged markup in the purchase of power generators in 1992 on Wednesday.
National Police Chief of Detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Sudjono said Puteh would be questioned at the National Police Headquarters at 10 a.m. as a witness in the case, which caused Rp 30 billion (US$3.3 million) in state losses.
"We will question him as a witness. Later, if we find sufficient evidence he will be quizzed as a suspect," Suyitno said.
He said the police sent the summons on Monday. If Puteh fails to show up on Wednesday, a second summons will follow.
Police are allowed to use force if a person defies a third summons for questioning.
On the sidelines of a meeting between heads of local governments with President Megawati Soekarnoputri earlier in the day, Puteh told reporters he would comply with the police summons and answer all questions.
However, he claimed he had not received the summons.
"I will attend the questioning to fulfill my obligation, but I haven't received the letter yet," Puteh said.
"I will explain the case when the time is right."
Megawati has appointed Puteh as the civil emergency administrator in Aceh, after one year of martial law to stamp out decades of rebellion there.
The police have named local businessman William Taylor as a suspect in the markup. Taylor's testimony led the police to Puteh, the police said.
Aceh Police have reported 42 cases of corruption that implicate local administration officials.
Separately, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators questioned Aceh provincial legislature speaker and his deputies here over an alleged markup in the purchase of a Russian-made helicopter that caused some Rp 12 billion in state losses. It is another corruption case that some may try to link to Puteh.
Three Aceh provincial administration officials, however, failed to turn up, saying they were all ill.
The questioning of Muhammad Yus, the speaker of the Aceh Legislative Council, and his deputies, Bahrum Manyak and Moersyid Minosra, started at 9 a.m. As of 5 p.m., the session had not finished.
KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas told reporters the questioning was aimed at collecting information on the mechanism, procedure and approval by the Aceh council of the purchase of the Mi-2 helicopter.
"We must be objective in handling the case. We want to be sure about the standard procedures before the councillors approve the request to purchase an inventory item," he said.
Erry said KPK would only question the Aceh provincial councillors, despite the fact that members of the regental legislatures in the province also approved the disbursement of their regency budgets to buy the helicopter.
"For our initial investigation, it is sufficient for us to obtain information from members of the Aceh provincial legislature," he said.
Another local government official on the KPK list is Aceh administration secretary Thantawi Ishak, who will be questioned on Tuesday.
The three officials who missed Monday's questioning, namely the head of the Aceh administration's supply and procurement division Syahruddin M. Gadeng, treasurer T. Lizam and procurement director Khalid, had notified the KPK that they would not attend due to poor health.
Erry said the commission had been collecting information from the Navy, the Air Force and a partner company of the Aceh administration involved in the purchase of the helicopter, identified only as PT PPM. The Navy said it bought the same helicopter for some Rp 6 billion in 2001.
The commission is expected to question more witnesses, including Puteh if necessary. before declaring the suspects in two weeks.