Rahardi denies attending meeting to disburse Rp 40b
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The former minister of trade and industry and chief of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog), Rahardi Ramelan, dispelled claims on Tuesday that he had attended a meeting to discuss the use of Rp 40 billion in nonbudgetary Bulog funds.
Rahardi told the South Jakarta District Court that he had not attended a meeting with then president B.J. Habibie, state secretary Akbar Tanjung and coordinating minister for people's welfare and poverty eradication Haryono Suyono at the State Palace on Feb. 10, 1999 to discuss a charitable project.
According to Rahardi, he had been on a trade mission to the United States and Jamaica from Feb. 4 to Feb. 17, 1999.
Rahardi is being tried for his alleged part in the misappropriation of Rp 62.9 billion belonging to Bulog between 1998 and 1999.
Rahardi gave Rp 40 billion of the money to Akbar, Rp 10 billion to then minister of defense Gen. Wiranto and the rest for various purposes including for the Presidential Guards.
House of Representatives Speaker and Golkar Party chairman Akbar Tandjung is being tried in a separate trial for misuse of the funds.
Rahardi's indictment stated that the case dated back to Feb. 10 when Raudlatul Jannah Foundation chairman Dadang Sukandar submitted a proposal to Akbar, who was then minister/state secretary, for a charitable project.
"There was a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 18 to talk about the social safety net program (JPS), and Pak Habibie ordered me to give Rp 40 billion to Pak Akbar," Rahardi asserted.
The indictment also said that contractor Winfried Simatupang presented the proposal in Akbar's office on Feb. 17 after Akbar had approved it on Feb. 15.
Habibie, Akbar and Haryono earlier testified separately that they held a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 10 to discuss the charitable project, aimed at helping the poor during the monetary crisis by selling staple food at low prices.
"Pak Habibie lied. His testimony was contrived and deceitful," he said during cross-examination by chief prosecutor Kemas Yahya Rahman.
Habibie testified in July via video linkup from Hamburg, Germany, that the charitable project was not a fallacy. He claimed that he had ordered Rahardi to disburse Rp 10 billion to Gen. Wiranto to secure the project.
Habibie's testimony differed from that of Wiranto, who testified that the Rp 10 billion was for the overseeing of security in the city during the 1999 elections and during a self- determination vote in East Timor.
Wearing a brown suit, Rahardi claimed he had ignored a summons from the Attorney General's Office in early 2000 because he first had to consult with the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) and the National Police.
"The case involves the leader of a big political party. That's why I had to consult it with them," he said.
On the sidelines of the hearing, lawyer Trimoelja D. Soerjadi repeatedly said that the Bulog case had been contrived in such a way as to save Akbar and Habibie.
"It is obvious that the case has been contrived. Unfortunately, they were not aware about the dates involved in the case," he said.
Trimoelja stated several times during the hearing that Akbar had attempted to persuade Rahardi to lie before the court to save himself.
Dadang had testified that he had forged documents pertaining to the case. Winfried, who in a bizarre twist paid back the Rp 40 billion to the state, admitted that he had lied to save Akbar.
Many believe that the Rp 40 billion was channeled to the Golkar Party to fund its 1999 election campaign.
The Central Jakarta District Court is expected to pass judgment on Akbar, Dadang and Winfried on Wednesday in relation to the same case.