President's OK needed to question Akbar

President's OK needed to question Akbar

JAKARTA (JP): Police are still awaiting the consent of
President Abdurrahman Wahid to question House of Representatives
Speaker Akbar Tandjung over his alleged involvement in a land
scam, National Police detectives chief Insp. Gen. Engkesman
Rangkeong Hillep said on Monday.

"We have received the (police) report on the case. We're now
waiting for the President's consent to summon Akbar," Engkesman
told reporters.

National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro supported
Engkesman's statement, saying that the police would investigate
all reports of criminal offenses, including the case involving
Akbar, who is also the chairman of the Golkar Party.

"Whoever the person is, the report will be followed up on by
the police," Bimantoro told reporters after installing Brig. Gen.
Nurdin Usman as the new chief of the Police Mobile Brigade
(Brimob).

A man named Kurnia Ananta, who claims to be a close relative
of Akbar, has repeatedly reported to the police that Akbar had
forged the title documents to a 90,000-square-meter plot in
Srengseng subdistrict, Kebun Jeruk district, West Jakarta.

Kurnia first reported the case in 1995 when Akbar was State
Minister for Public Housing under then President Soeharto.

Last year, Kurnia again reported the case to the police in
July and September. As he received an unsatisfactory response on
both occasions, he then reported the case to the National
Ombudsman Commission in January.

The commission recommended on Jan. 23 that the police
investigate the case.

In a related development, Engkesman said the police would
probe the alleged misuse of Rp 90 billion (US$9.3) belonging to
the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) by the Golkar Party during the
1999 general election campaign.

"Although we have yet to receive a report, we will proceed to
investigate the case," he said.

Minister of Defense Mahfud M.D., who had earlier revealed the
use of the funds by Golkar, said he was ready to testify either
before a court or a House hearing.

Mahfud admitted that he had obtained the data about the case
from Coordinating Minister for the Economy Rizal Ramli, who was
once the Bulog chief.

Many, however, consider that the police investigations into
Akbar and his party are in retaliation for the House's decision
to pass a motion of censure against the President on Feb. 1.

The House accused Abdurrahman of being involved in the misuse
of a Rp 35 billion (US$3.6 million) fund belonging to Bulog and
giving inconsistent statements about a $2 million donation made
to him by the Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah. (jun)