National Police to quiz Puteh

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.