Rudy says journal exists, keeps mum on contracts

JAKARTA (JP): Former Bank Bali president Rudy Ramli acknowledged on Thursday the existence of a journal purportedly describing the involvement of President B.J. Habibie's inner circle in the Bank Bali scandal.

After being grilled for nearly four hours by legislators in the hearing, a wan-looking Rudy denied authoring a letter stating the journal did not exist.

The letter was circulated last month by Minister of Justice/ State Secretary Muladi.

"I didn't make the statement," Rudy told House of Representatives Commission VIII on banking and finance in his first public appearance since the Bank Bali scandal surfaced in late July.

In a session broadcast live by two private television stations, journalists and observers packing the visitor's gallery cheered and applauded Rudy's testimony. Among the observers was former president Soeharto's lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon, who sat through the proceedings from the opening at 2 p.m. until the close at 6 p.m.

Rudy declined to elaborate and appealed for the hearing to be stopped due to his poor health. He has reportedly suffered a mild stroke amid the pressure and attention from the scandal.

"My health is not good. May I be permitted to just stop here?"

House members agreed to the demand on the condition that Rudy would agree to meet soon with the House special investigation team.

The scandal stems from the Rp 546 billion commission paid by the bank to PT Era Giat Prima for its help in recouping interbank loans on closed banks.

Among the accusations is that the Habibie camp was trying to raise money to bankroll his presidential race in November. Among the executives of Era Giat Prima is Setya Novanto, a leading Golkar official.

Bank Bali was not supposed to use the service of EGP because the loans were guaranteed through the government blanket guarantee program.

The journal reportedly provides a chronological record of Rudy's successive meetings with members of the Habibie circle.

Although Rudy admitted the existence of the diary, he declined to confirm the contents, which have been widely published in the mass media.

"It's true that I handed over the document (journal) to Suhartoyo but, regarding the contents, please allow me not to answer it here because I may need this in my trial later on," he said.

The police have named Rudy a suspect in the Bank Bali case.

Rudy said he gave the journal to Maj. Gen. (ret) Suhartoyo, currently deputy head of the human resources department of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), on Aug. 12 during a meeting with top officials of the party.

Rudy met with PDI Perjuangan to seek advice from the party's legal experts.

With Rudy's approval, PDI Perjuangan circulated the journal among the media but deleted the names of the people listed.

Rudy subsequently decided not to use the party's legal experts and instead chose Adnan Buyung Nasution, who resigned last week citing a lack of trust in their lawyer-client relationship. Nasution previously advised Rudy not to attend the session.

At a post-Cabinet meeting news conference last month, Muladi read a letter, which he attributed to Rudy, which denied the existence of the journal.

The letter said that Rudy was forced to fabricate an account of the journal after being kidnapped by PDI Perjuangan.

Amien Harjoso of PDI Perjuangan filed a complaint with the police following publication of the letter.

Amien said on Thursday that he would drop his complaint after Rudy confirmed to legislators the existence of the diary.

He attended the hearing to provide support for Rudy.

Meanwhile, Muladi said on Thursday that he questioned Rudy's honesty.

"I don't believe Rudy Ramli anymore," he said, adding that the banker should take a lie detector test.

"I was only ordered by the President to read the statement." (rei/prb)