Protection urged for witnesses in scandal cases

JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung has asked the police to provide protection for witnesses in the Brunei and State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandals.

"We'll send a letter asking the police to protect the witnesses," Akbar told reporters on Tuesday after a meeting with leaders of the House's special committee which is investigating both scandals.

Committee chairman Bachtiar Chamsyah said the committee needed the police's help to protect the witnesses after receiving a report from former Bulog executive Saleh Sofyan that he had been terrorized.

"The committee has agreed that the witnesses, especially Saleh, be given protection," Bachtiar, a legislator of the United Development Party (PPP) faction, said.

He said protection was needed to guarantee that the witnesses would give true testimonies without fear of being terrorized.

President Abdurrahman Wahid has been accused of involvement in the misuse of Rp 35 billion (US$3.7 million) belonging to Bulog's employee foundation Yanatera and a $2 million donation from Brunei Sultan Hasanal Bolkiah.

Bachtiar said the 50-member committee had the right to investigate the scandals even though the money did not belong to the state.

"It's not about the Rp 35 billion any longer. It's about the President's morals," Bachtiar said.

A former committee member, Habil Marati, earlier claimed that the committee did not have the right to investigate the scandals since both funds were privately owned.

In a related development, witness Aris Junaidi told a hearing at the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday that despite his acquaintance with President Abdurrahman, his Rp 5 billion ($574,700) loan from Suwondo, the President's former masseur and a suspect in the Bulog scandal, was a different matter and "purely business".

"I was well-acquainted with Gus Dur (Abdurrahman's nickname) before he became president. I used to arrange trips for him to Bali and other places ... but my loan from Suwondo has nothing to do with the President," the businessman told the court hearing, presided over by Judge Lalu Mariyun.

Aris is a brother of Arifin Junaidi, former executive of the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Muslim organization, formerly chaired by Abdurrahman.

The Rp 35 billion was handed over by then Bulog deputy chairman Sapuan to Suwondo in four Bank Bukopin bearer checks. While keeping the Rp 10 billion check for himself, the remaining funds ended up in three separate pairs of hands.

While a Rp 5 billion check went to the BCA account of Semarang-based businesswoman Siti Farikha, who has family links with the NU, a Rp 15 billion check ended up in the Citibank account of legislator Suko Sudarso, of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).

The remaining Rp 5 billion check is reportedly with Leo Purnomo, a suspect still at large.

"One day I called up Suwondo to ask him if he had billions of rupiah I could borrow ... I needed a huge amount for business expansion," Aris told the hearing, but did not elaborate on what business he was referring to.

"He said he had, and we set up a meeting to meet at a hotel in Central Jakarta, on March 10."

The meeting at the hotel, located just opposite the NU headquarters on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta, ended with Suwondo handing one of the checks, stamped with the Yanatera logo, to Aris.

Aris never signed a receipt to prove his acceptance of the check from Suwondo, and neither did Suwondo ask him to do so.

Earlier, Abdurrahman told city police detectives chief Sr. Supt. Harry Montolalu and former city police detective chief Brig. Gen. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo that before he became president, Suwondo used to give him information on former president Soeharto.

"When I was still at the NU, he used to bring me information on Soeharto. He would do this while massaging my legs. When I became president, he vanished. He contacted me once though, to talk about Bulog nonbudgetary funds," he said as quoted from police reports.

"Yes, I met Sapuan, but I have no idea who really arranged that meeting (between Gus Dur and Sapuan, at the presidential palace, on Jan. 7 this year)."

The President told officers that Sapuan met him to tell him that Bulog had Rp 370 billion in nonbudgetary funds.

"He said Rp 370 billion. I asked him whether some could be used for humanitarian aid in Aceh. He said yes, as long as I issued a presidential decree," he said.

"I asked him why. Sapuan told me that the decree would act as a permit for the concerned minister (Yusuf Kalla). So I told him there was no need, since it would take too much time."

Gus Dur told Harry and Alex that he had "no idea whatsoever" about the Rp 35 billion taken from Yanatera for humanitarian aid purposes, and denied ever ordering Suwondo to get the money from Sapuan. (jun/ylt)