Party leaders step up pressure for Akbar's arrest

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public pressures for detention of House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung has gained a major boost from the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

PDI Perjuangan deputy chairman Roy BB Janis said after the party's weekly meeting on Tuesday that Akbar, a suspect in the alleged misuse of Rp 40 billion funds belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), deserved detention after another suspect in the high profile scandal, Rahardi Ramelan, had been placed under custody pending his trial.

Roy said everybody in the country was equal before the law, and should not be given different treatment.

"If we comply with the logics of law, once a suspect is detained, other suspects must be treated the same," said Roy, who also chairs the party's faction in the House.

When asked if the party specifically supported the detention of Akbar, who is Golkar chairman, Roy said: "Yes. Who else?"

Party chief Megawati Soekarnoputri skipped the regular meeting for undisclosed reasons.

Former Bulog chief/minister of trade and industry Rahardi was detained at the Cipinang penitentiary after investigation into him was declared sufficient. He is facing charges of embezzling Rp 54.6 billion of Bulog fund, most part of it channeled to Akbar to finance a charity program.

Then minister/state secretary Akbar handpicked Raudlatul Jannah Foundation to conduct the food for the need project in several provinces, but a field check by the Attorney General's Office found no such program had taken place.

Other suspects implicated in the high profile scandal are former Bulog's finance director Achmad Ruskandar, chairman of Raudlatul Jannah Foundation Dadang Sukandar and contractor Winfred Simatupang.

The prosecutors have said Akbar's detention is unnecessary because in his capacity as the House speaker, he would not escape prosecution.

Unlike other suspects in high-profile graft, Akbar has never been slapped with a travel ban, allowing him to perform his second haj pilgrimage last month.

Former sports minister and Golkar figure Hayono Isman shared Roy's view, urging the Attorney General's Office to apply a discriminative policy on Akbar.

Hayono, who was visiting Cirebon, West Java, there had been examples that suspects were detained for certain purposes.

"(Former Bulog chairman) Bustanil Arifin was detained after he was declared a suspect in a Rp 10 billion scandal. But, in the current case, only one suspect is detained, while the others remain at large," said Hayono, chairman of Kosgoro organization and former secretary general of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP).

A more blunt statement was aired by Mahfud MD, the deputy chairman of the Alwi Shihab's National Awakening Party (PKB).

Mahfud said that Akbar, an experienced politician and several time served as a minister in the New Order administration, deserved the detention more than Rahardi.

"Rahardi's detention is acceptable, but Akbar should be the first to serve detention. Akbar was held responsible for operational matters in the case, while Rahardi was only held responsible for administrative affairs," Mahfud, who is an constitutional law expert, told reporters at the PKB headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Akbar said he was ready to give further clarification to the Attorney General's Office about the scandal, which is slated to take place on Thursday, the day when the House will vote whether to support an establishment of a special committee to probe into his role in the scam.

"(My) secretary has received the letter and I will comply with the summons, but we have to work out the schedule because on Thursday the schedule (at the House) is pretty packed. But, of course, I will make it to the (questioning) session," Akbar said.