Party leaders step up pressure for Akbar's arrest

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.