Sapuan shifts blame to Gus Dur, Suwondo

JAKARTA (JP): Suspended National Logistics Agency (Bulog) deputy chairman Sapuan pointed his finger on Friday at President Abdurrahman Wahid and his masseur, Suwondo, in connection with a Rp 35 billion scam, saying the two know where the money is and why it was taken.

"Gus Dur (the President's popular nickname) and Suwondo are key persons who can help disclose the scandal because the money was taken from the Bulog employees foundation at the request of Suwondo on behalf of the President," he said in a hearing with the House Commission III for agriculture and plantations.

Sapuan, who has been named the main suspect in the high- profile scandal, said he ordered the disbursement of the money on Jan. 21 and Jan. 23 under Suwondo's persistent pressure after he met with the President on Jan. 7.

"I directly gave Suwondo Rp 10 billion and the remaining Rp 25 billion was handed over by my assistant Saleh Sofyan after several personal meetings and phone contacts with Suwondo," he said.

Suwondo remains at large and Abdurrahman has ordered the police to apprehend him.

Sapuan asserted that there were no other persons or officials who had pressed him to disburse the money, only Suwondo. He said: "Suwondo on behalf of the president pushed for the money's disbursement due to the situation in the restive province of Aceh."

According to Sapuan, the money was part of Rp 185 billion fund the president asked from Bulog during the Jan. 7 meeting for humanitarian relief in Aceh and Maluku.

"In the meeting, the president asked for 50 percent of Rp 370 billion available in Bulog's non-budgetary funds for a humanitarian mission in Aceh and Ambon; but he declined to issue a presidential decree as was required by then Bulog chief Yusuf Kalla," he said.

Some House commission members expressed their skepticism over Sapuan's testimony, saying it was unlikely that the president ordered disbursement of Rp 35 billion while he was in need of five times more.

"Suwondo has possibly misused the president's name to press Sapuan to disburse the money for his own personal interest. He should have checked with the president or informed him of the amount of the disbursed funds," said Achmad Arif from the Reform Faction.

Another commission member questioned why Sapuan was so quick to believe in Suwondo, who was only a masseur of the president, saying Sapuan is masking his personal interests behind the funds' disbursement.

Awal Kusumah, who presided over the hearing, said his commission would seek a clarification from the president soon.

"We will invite the president immediately to give a clarification over the roles of Sapuan and other state officials in the scandal," he said.

In the view of House commission member Fachri Andi Laluarsa, Sapuan is trying to wash his hands and shift the blame to Gus Dur and Suwondo.

Meanwhile, commission deputy chairman Widjanarko Puspoyo called on the Supreme Audit Agency to audit Bulog in connection with providing the agency's non-budgetary funds worth Rp 395 billion to business people without proper accountability.

"Bulog has become the cash cow of certain persons and companies, especially during the New Order era, and it remains unclear whether the funds have been returned or not," he said in the hearing.

Meeting

Widjanarko was responding to reports that he knew much about the scandal which he repeatedly denied. He said he had held a meeting with Sapuan and Attorney General Marzuki Darusman somewhere in South Jakarta in January to discuss the illegal use of Bulog money.

He said Bulog had disbursed Rp 184 billion in a soft loan to the Indonesian Distribution Cooperatives (KDI), controlled by businessman Nurdin Halid and the loan has yet to be returned.

The agency also extended Rp 40 billion in a soft loan to PT Inti Pangan Mas, owned by former president Soeharto's eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, he said.

He said Bulog had also disbursed Rp 35 billion to Alwin Arifin, son of former Bulog chairman Bustanil Arifin, and another Rp 40 billion to Bustanil's nephew, Jony Syarif.

"None of this money was disbursed with proper collateral and those who robbed Bulog should be pursued to get the money back," he said.

To avoid further misuse of state funds, Widjanarko said, the government should stop the provision of non-budgetary funds and incorporate all such funds into the state budget, which would be subject to the House's scrutiny.

Separately, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman admitted on Friday that he had met Sapuan twice in different hotels in February to discuss the idea to shift all the off-budget funds entrusted to Bulog to the state budget.

Marzuki explained that in the first meeting Sapuan was worried about such funds which, according to him, were prone to inappropriate use because no accountability is required. (rms/jun/01)