Nurdin 'too weak' to be probed

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.