Police to grill sugar scam suspect Nurdin in hospital
Police to grill sugar scam suspect Nurdin in hospital
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police said on Tuesday they would question Confederation of
Primary Cooperatives Association (Inkud) chairman Nurdin Halid in
hospital about his alleged involvement in the smuggling of 73,000
tons of sugar.
The decision comes only a day after doctors at the Soekanto
Police Hospital in East Jakarta where Nurdin is being treated
declared him fit to face interrogation.
National Police Deputy Chief of Detectives Insp. Gen. Dadang
Garnida said the police heeded Nurdin's request in order to speed
up the investigation.
"I have asked for his consent to resume the investigation but
he agreed only if he was questioned in his room at the hospital.
We accepted his conditions and will send our officers there in a
day or two," Dadang said.
Dadang said the police had negotiated with Nurdin so he would
answer police questions voluntarily. The officer said the suspect
had refused to speak to the police during the past several days.
"We need his cooperation because we anticipated that during
the interrogation process he would display symptoms of illnesses,
such as vomiting or headaches. These (displays) can stall the
investigation process and might extend his stay in the hospital,"
Dadang said.
Dadang said although Nurdin had been declared fit, he was
still in recovery. Nurdin, a lawmaker representing the Golkar
Party, was still complaining of stomach aches and unable to sit
still, Dadang said.
He denied accusations police had given in to Nurdin's
unreasonable demands, saying the police's top priority was to
continue their investigation into the case.
"We've never intended to give him privileges. Our duty is to
serve and protect. I think it is OK if we question a suspect (in
hospital) so as to continue our probe," Dadang said.
A legal expert, Luhut M. Pangaribuan, criticized police for
playing along with Nurdin's tune.
"If police go to the hospital it seems to suggest they are
questioning an unhealthy suspect, which the law forbids. If
Nurdin is healthy then the police should take him to their
office," Luhut said.
The Attorney General's Office set the precedent of going to
question, and not summoning, important suspects when its
prosecutors went to the residence of former president Soeharto to
question him in connection with a multibillion graft scandal in
2000, on the grounds that he was ill.
The sugar scandal broke in June after a farmer association
reported they found 73,000 tons of illegally imported sugar in
several warehouses in Jakarta, Bogor, and Makassar, South
Sulawesi.
The police said subsequently they believed the sugar was
illegally imported by Inkud, and declared eight suspects --
Nurdin's brother, Abdul Waris Halid; Effendy Kemek, Abdul Badar
Saleh, Jack Tanim, three officials from the customs and excise
office, and Raja Benarje of PT Phoenix, the sugar exporter. The
police have since declared Raja a witness in the case.
After one round of questioning lasting over six hours in mid-
July, Nurdin was declared a suspect on the grounds that as Inkud
chairman he would have had knowledge about the scam.
A short time later, Nurdin was taken to Pertamina Hospital,
South Jakarta after fainting. Doctors at Pertamina found nothing
wrong with Nurdin and diagnosed him as suffering from exhaustion.
Nevertheless, police transferred Nurdin to the Soekanto Police
Hospital for "intensive medication". He has been confined for the
past three weeks there.
Police and doctors have revealed almost no information about
Nurdin's condition during his stay at the hospital, raising
doubts over their seriousness in investigating the scandal.