Nurdin 'too weak' to be probed

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Police investigators attempted to fulfill their promise to question Confederation of Primary Cooperatives Association (Inkud) chairman Nurdin Halid on Wednesday but were thwarted, as the suspect in a sugar scandal was declared too weak to undergo interrogation.

National Police anti-fraud squad chief Brig. Gen. Samuel Ismoko said a team of doctors who are treating Nurdin told the police to wait until their patient was well again.

"We can't question him right now as he is still not yet healthy enough. However, we can assure you that we will take him to our headquarters once he recovers," said Ismoko.

As recently as Monday, doctors declared Nurdin as fit for questioning, but suggested that the police carry out the procedure in Soekanto Police Hospital, where he had been treated for the last three weeks.

The police complied with the suggestion in order to speed up their investigation into Nurdin's alleged role in the smuggling of 73,000 tons of sugar.

Ismoko said the police would await the go-ahead from doctors for Nurdin to undergo questioning.

Head of Nurdin's medical team Sr. Comr. Bimanesh Sutejo said Nurdin had been suffering from acute gastritis and depression since he was first taken to the hospital in mid-July.

"We carried out an endoscopy twice to check his abdomen and found inflammation. He was improving recently but yesterday (Tuesday) he complained he couldn't sleep due to a stomachache. We assume his condition has worsened," said Bimanesh.

Endoscopy involves the insertion of an instrument into a body aperture or duct for direct visual inspection and biopsy.

Bimanesh said Nurdin's health continued to be unstable and could not specify when he might leave the hospital.

"For instance, he can't stand and talk for a long time, let alone walk. If he stands for only a few minutes he falls unconscious," he said.

This is the first proper clarification on Nurdin's health status as both the police and doctors revealed almost nothing about him after he was taken to the hospital three weeks ago.

After a session of police questioning that lasted more than six hours in mid-July, Nurdin joined the list of suspects in the case on the grounds that as Inkud chairman he would have known about such a large transaction involving his organization.

However, he was subsequently taken to Pertamina Hospital, South Jakarta, when he fell unconscious after the questioning. Doctors at the hospital said they found nothing wrong with him, apart from symptoms of exhaustion.

Nevertheless, police transferred Nurdin to the Soekanto Hospital "to undergo intensive medication".

The police have named eight people suspects in the scandal. They are Nurdin's brother Abdul Waris Halid, Effendy Kemek, Abdul Badar Saleh, Jack Tanim, three officials from the customs and excise office, and Raja Benarje of PT Phoenix, the sugar exporter.