Police hand over suspect in Bulog scam
JAKARTA (JP): City Police submitted to the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office on Monday the dossier on Sapuan, the main suspect behind the Rp 35 billion (US$3.9 million) scandal at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).
Sapuan, former Bulog deputy chairman, was arrested by the police early last month for his alleged key role in the affair.
"We have completed the dossiers on the suspect," chief of the city police's economic crimes unit Asst. Supt. Tito Karnavian announced at city police headquarters.
"Today, we handed over the suspect along with some evidence to the prosecutor's office, which will be responsible for further prosecution," he said.
Besides Sapuan, who was named a suspect for his decision to order the disbursement of funds belonging to the Bulog employees foundation Yanatera to President Abdurrahman Wahid's former masseur Suwondo, the city police also handed over evidence in the case including three luxury cars and some cash to the city prosecutor's office.
The three cars were a BMW Sport with registration number B 8099 BE, a Mercedes New Eyes with registration number B 168 GT and a Range Rover jeep with registration number B 8657 HE, while the other evidence consisted of Rp 15 million in cash and a land certificate for a 100-hectare plot in Cianjur, West Java.
The three cars and the plot were owned by Suwondo, who according to Sapuan had pressured him to disburse the Rp 35 billion for use as humanitarian aid for the restive Aceh province.
Media reports have said that Rp 10 billion of the Yanatera funds went directly into Suwondo's account, while another Rp 15 billion went into a bank account belonging to Suko Sudarso, an executive of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), another Rp 5 billion to an account belonging to Leo Purnomo, reportedly a staff member of the Air Wagon (Awair) air freight company, and the other Rp 5 billion to an account belonging to Siti Farikha, a Central Java-based businesswoman.
Suwondo, through his wife Tety, returned his Rp 10 billion to Yanatera on June 7, followed by Siti Farikha, who returned her Rp 5 billion the next day. Three days later the police froze Leo's account at Bank Central Asia's (BCA) Tomang branch. Leo is still at large.
Leo, Suwondo and Sapuan were then named suspects in the case.
Sapuan, wearing a scarf on Monday, looked pale as two police officers escorted him to the Mercedes car which took him to the prosecutor's office at 10.15 a.m.
"I have a heart problem," Sapuan, who was dressed in a traditional cream batik shirt and cream pants, briefly told reporters upon leaving police headquarters.
Sapuan had been receiving treatment at the police's Sukanto Hospital in Kramatjati, East Jakarta, since early this month.
During questioning at the House of Representatives (DPR) last month, Sapuan said that he had agreed to disburse the funds because he believed that he was acting on presidential orders.
He said Suwondo, who claimed to be acting on behalf of President Abdurrahman, had persistently urged him to disburse the funds.
Tito said that the city police had been unable to trace the other two suspects, Suwondo and Leo.
"We have coordinated with Interpol. We have also offered a reward for information leading to the tracking down of the suspects, but their whereabouts are still unknown," he said.
He said the police were also trying to recover the remaining Rp 5 billion out of the Rp 35 billion fund. (asa)