Nurdin Halid hospitalized, again

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Lawmaker Nurdin Halid, a suspect in a sugar smuggling case, was readmitted to the Soekamto Police Hospital in East Jakarta on Thursday night after police doctors declared him too ill to undergo questioning.

National Police Director of Economic Crimes Brig. Gen. Samuel Ismoko said on Friday that Nurdin, who is also chairman of the All Indonesian Soccer Federation, was rushed to the hospital after he began displaying the same symptoms that led to his earlier hospitalization, including fainting spells.

"We sent him to the hospital on Thursday night after doctors examined him. We cannot keep him here at the headquarters because we do not have the ability to treat him. We would be blamed if something happened," said Ismoko.

Nurdin, chairman of the Confederations of Primary Cooperatives Association (Inkud), was treated at the same hospital for almost four weeks before being transferred to police headquarters last week.

Inkud has been accused of illegally importing some 73,000 tons of sugar from Thailand in May. Police have declared a total of eight people as suspects in the case. They are Nurdin, Nurdin's younger brother, Abdul Waris Halid, Effendy Kemek, Abdul Badar Saleh, Jack Tanim and three customs and excise officials.

Raja Benarje of PT Phoenix, the sugar exporter, was at one time declared a suspect, but police investigators later amended this and said the Thai citizen was only a witness.

The sugar scandal emerged after a farmers' association reported in June they had found 73,000 tons of smuggled sugar in several warehouses in Jakarta, Bogor and Makassar, South Sulawesi.

It was during his initial questioning by the police in July that Nurdin was first hospitalized, being taken to Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta.

Doctors at Pertamina said there was nothing wrong with Nurdin and that he simply appeared tired.

Nevertheless, police transferred Nurdin to the Police Hospital "to undergo intensive treatment". He remained at the hospital for four weeks.

A team of police doctors said Nurdin had severe stomach inflammation and was suffering from depression.

Contacted separately, the head of Nurdin's team of doctors, Sr. Comr. Bimanesh Sutejo, said he could not comment and Ismoko was the only officer authorized to discuss Nurdin's case.

Ismoko said the investigation would continue despite Nurdin's poor health.

"We can continue interrogating witnesses and suspects in the case. We won't stop just because Nurdin is hospitalized," said Ismoko.

He said the police would focus on Nurdin's role as Inkud chairman in the sugar transaction.

"As Inkud chairman he should know about such a big transaction involving his organization. We will charge him under the country's corruption law, as the state paid for the sugar to foreign investors through his organization. Now the sugar is illegal but the state has disbursed the funds," he said.

Ismoko said the transaction has caused billions of rupiah in state losses.