Protection urged for witnesses in scandal cases

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)