Police may question Akbar over land scam

Police may question Akbar over land scam

JAKARTA (JP): Pressure over a housing scam allegedly involving
Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung is growing with National
Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf on Thursday suggesting
that Akbar could be questioned pending the emergence of further
evidence.

"If there is strong evidence of a crime, we might summon Akbar
for questioning. Nobody is above the law," Saleh told reporters.

He said the police would ask for a presidential waiver of
legislative immunity, as required for the investigation or
questioning of a member of the House.

Saleh however said that initially the police would take
further testimony from Kurnia Ananta, the alleged victim, who
accused Akbar of having falsified land title documents.

Saleh also revealed that the National Ombudsman Commission on
Jan. 23 had recommended that the police investigate the case.

Kurnia, who claims to be a close relative of Akbar, filed a
police complaint in 1995 over fake titles to 90,000 square meters
of land in Srengseng subdistrict, Kebun Jeruk district, West
Jakarta.

At the time Akbar was Minister of Public Housing.

Last year, Kurnia twice reported the case to the police in
July and in September. After receiving an "unsatisfactory
response", he then complained to the ombudsman commission last
month.

Saleh admitted that the police had yet to fully probe the
case, hoping that it could be settled amicably among the family
members.

"First, we thought that it was a family matter. But if the
family cannot settle the matter, we will handle it," he asserted.

National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro had earlier
indicated that the police were opening files on past corruption
cases following hints by President Abdurrahman Wahid that 10
former officials and businessmen from the New Order era would
soon be investigated.

Earlier, several politicians had reported Akbar to Attorney
General Marzuki Darusman for his alleged involvement in a scam
over the Housing Savings Fund (Taperum).

Golkar was also accused of siphoning off Rp 90 billion of
State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds during the 1999 general
election campaign.

These allegations have recently come to the fore following the
House's motion to censure Abdurrahman for his alleged involvement
in the Bulog and Brunei financial scandals. (jun)