PDI-P supports plan to set up special committee on Bulog scam
PDI-P supports plan to set up special committee on Bulog scam
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Solo, Central Java
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
officially announced their support on Tuesday for the House of
Representatives' plan to establish a special committee to
investigate the alleged misuse of Rp 54.6 billion from the State
Logistic Agency (Bulog), which implicates House Speaker Akbar
Tandjung.
Speaking to journalists after the party's weekly meeting led
by its chairwoman President Megawati Soekarnoputri, PDI
Perjuangan deputy chairman Gunawan Wirosaroyo said that the
decision to support the plan was made by the central executive
board.
"However, this does not guarantee that after the next
discussion at the House a special committee will be formed,
because we have to convince other parties on the issue," Gunawan
said.
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is investigating the Bulog
scandal, which took place during Akbar's tenure as minister/state
secretary in 1999.
Akbar, who is also chairman of the Golkar Party, has been
summoned twice as a witness in the case, while legislators have
campaigned for the formation of a special committee to
investigate the alleged graft. Last week, however, the House
delayed a debate on the establishment of the committee due to
technicalities.
Many people criticized that the House was reluctant to pursue
the case as, according to legislators, it was being used as a
political commodity among the parties.
Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have even
alleged that the case may be exploited by Megawati for political
bargaining, particularly since the possibility of a House
investigation depends largely on PDI Perjuangan, which has the
most seats in the House.
In a related development, former Bulog fund director Yusnadi
Suwarta admitted that Akbar had promised to provide all of the
receipts related to the Rp 40 billion he has admitted to
receiving.
"Pak Akbar said to me and my colleague Pak Ruskandar that he
would hand over the receipts of some checks we gave to him,"
Yusnadi said referring to former Bulog deputy chief of finance
Achmad Ruskandar.
Supporting Ruskandar's earlier statement, Yusnadi said that
the checks totaling Rp 40 billion were handed over at Akbar's
office.
Yusnadi was summoned by the AGO on Tuesday as a witness in the
case. Also questioned by the AGO was the head of Bulog's payment
division Purnama Ema Budi Setiawati.
In a related development, dozens of students of the Indonesian
Muslim Students Association (KAMMI) held a rally on Tuesday
before the local legislative council in Solo, Central Java,
demanding that Akbar resign from his political posts pending a
complete investigation.
"Akbar's case is the most scandalous of the corruption cases
in the country, so Akbar must resign from his political posts,
and his party must be dissolved," they said.