Pressures mount for House to probe Akbar

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Pressures grew stronger Monday for the House of Representatives to set up a special committee to investigate the embezzlement of Rp 54.6 billion funds (about $5 million) from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), allegedly involving House Speaker Akbar Tandjung.

At least four pro-reform organizations met leaders of the House's Reform Faction to demand the establishment of such a special committee to investigate the scandal involving Bulog money, which is meant to be used to provide food subsidies for the poor.

The four groups were, Petition 50, the Forum for the Alliance of Muslim-Based Parties (FAPPI), the New Order Surveillance Committee (KWOB) and the Marhaen People's Movement (GRM).

The demands came as the House planned on Tuesday to commence talks on various issues after more than three weeks of recess.

Judilherry Justam, spokesman for the groups, claimed that a House special committee is urgently needed because the legal investigation into the scandal by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) would most likely be unable to uncover the scam.

Judilherry claimed he is prepared to help prove the involvement of Akbar -- and his colleagues within the Golkar Party -- in the scandal if requested.

Many have alleged that the money was used to help finance Golkar's campaign activities and fund the operations of militias in East Timor.

Akbar admitted that he had disbursed Rp 40 billion of the funds to the Islamic Raudlatul Jannah Foundation for humanitarian programs during the peak of the nation's economic crisis in 1999.

Former military chief Gen. (ret.) Wiranto also admitted that he received Rp 10 billion of the money.

However, both Akbar and Wiranto denied misusing the funds for their own political interests.

On Monday, Akbar denied reports that half of the funds he received from Bulog were disbursed for the political interests of Golkar.

The money had reportedly went to Golkar following the discovery of some incriminating invoices signed by party treasurers Fadel Muhammad and Muhammad Sulaiman Hidayat.

"What invoices? I don't know anything about them. It has been made up for certain reasons. If I am asked to be questioned once again (at the AGO), I would be glad to do so," Akbar said.

Akbar claimed that the reports emanate from those, whom he alleges, want to tarnish Golkar's image.

The reports said the two invoices, issued by Bank Exim and Bank Bukopin on March 2 1999, were promptly signed by two different people on the same day without clearly printing their names below the signatures.

The signatories were believed to be Fadel and Hidayat as the signatures on the invoices matched those on their ID cards as well as those appearing on other official Golkar letters.

Fadel denied the reports, but the AGO determined the copies of the invoices to be genuine.

AGO spokesman Mulyohardjo on Sunday said his office would ask Bank Indonesia to open investigations into the bank accounts of Fadel and Hidayat.

On Monday, Mulyohardjo said his office had summoned former president B.J. Habibie for questioning on Wednesday in connection with the scandal.

Akbar and Wiranto said Habibie had instructed then-Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan to use the funds for humanitarian programs when serving as president in 1999. Rahardi has been named a suspect in the case.

Mulyohardjo said Habibie would be quizzed as a witness, adding that his office had also summoned 20 other witnesses in the scandal.

Meanwhile, several legislators opposed growing demands for the House to set up a special committee on the scandal citing that the AGO had already initiated an investigation of the case.

Surya Dharma Ali of the United Development Party (PPP) and Suparlan of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) doubted that the committee would carry out its tasks effectively.

"There is no need to set up a special committee. It will be better to wait for the investigation being done by the Attorney General's Office," Surya said.

Suparlan added: "All that we can do is to keep the investigation process by the AGO on the right track."