Rusdihardjo asked to clarify media reports

JAKARTA (JP): Undeterred by public demands that the police be proactive in investigating the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandal, National Police Headquarters on Tuesday asked former police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo to clarify media reports by himself over his testimony before the House of Representatives (DPR) special committee last week.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf suggested that Rusdihardjo clarify his testimony before the special committee where he reportedly stated that he knew about President Abdurrahman Wahid's alleged involvement in the Rp 35 billion (US$3.6 million) Bulog scandal.

"That is not the police's business. If this case needs to be clarified, Pak Rusdihardjo should come to the police to clarify the problem himself," Saleh told reporters, while suggesting that Rusdihardjo had been speaking as an individual before the special committee.

Saleh said the police had no intention of summoning Rusdihardjo to clarify the media reports which said that the four-star general had testified before the special committee that the police had found evidence of the President's alleged involvement in the scandal.

"We only heard about it from the newspapers. Unless the special committee gives us an official report (on Rusdihardjo's testimony), we'll only regard it (Rusdihardjo's statement) as a rumor," Saleh said.

When asked if the police would summon Rusdihardjo following a report filed by Semarang-based businesswoman Siti Farikha with National Police Headquarters, Saleh said the police would forward the report to the National Military Police Headquarters.

"The police accepted the report so as not to disappoint the party who filed the report," he said.

Farikha filed a report against Rusdihardjo on Monday saying that Rusdihardjo had defamed her.

Media reports said that during the hearing with the special committee, Rusdihardjo testified that Farikha had received a Rp 5 billion check from Gus Dur and said that he had been asked by the President to create a scenario as if Farikha had received the funds from fellow businessman Aris Junaidi.

Farikha returned the money to the police soon after the scandal made the headlines in April.

Separately, Jakarta Police Detectives chief Sr. Supt. Harry Montolalu denied any knowledge about the existence of different dossiers on the questioning of President Abdurrahman about the case on June 23 this year.

"There is only one dossier (on the President's questioning) and that is currently being used in the South Jakarta District Court. The dossier says that the President was not involved in the scandal," Harry said.

Held at the presidential palace, the team of investigators from the Jakarta Police were escorted by several members of the police's top brass, including Rusdihardjo, former National Police Detectives chief Insp. Gen. Chaeruddin Ismail, former Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Nurfaizi, former Jakarta Police Detectives chief Sr. Supt. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo and Harry.

Harry said that before the questioning, Rusdihardjo, Nurfaizi, and Chaeruddin entered the President's office and remained there for about 20 minutes.

"I don't know what they talked about," Harry said.

After that, he and Alex had been asked to enter the room and the President had asked them, instead of the team of investigators, to question him. (jaw)