Skepticism overshadows Akbar's questioning

Skepticism overshadows Akbar's questioning

Viva Goldner and Tertiani ZB Simandjuntak, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

As House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung today
(Tuesday) is questioned by the Attorney General's Office (AGO)
over the highly-politicized State Logistics Agency (Bulog)
scandal, observers have slammed the legal process, claiming
corruption will prevent justice being done.

Despite calls for a special House committee to investigate the
Rp 54.6 billion corruption allegation, the AGO will instead
question the three suspects, including Akbar, Raudlatul Jannah
foundation chairman Dadang Sukandar, and businessman Winfred
Simatupang.

Johnson Pandjaitan of the Legal Aid and Human Rights
Association (PBHI) said on Monday that Akbar's questioning by the
Office was politically engineered to rescue the Golkar chairman
and his party.

Golkar is the second-largest faction in the House of
Representatives (DPR) and played a key role in bringing the
Megawati administration to power in July, 2001.

Following questioning of his involvement late last year,
Akbar's status in the graft case was changed from witness to
suspect, a move Johnson said was used to prevent the speaker from
facing a House inquiry, similar to the one instrumental in the
downfall of former president Abdurrahman Wahid.

Under pressure from leaders of the ruling Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to allow the due legal
process to run its course, PDI-P legislators eased earlier calls
for Akbar's full investigation by the House.

Instead of a multi-party committee with wide-ranging powers to
uncover the truth, the case would instead be handled by the
country's judiciary, an institution Johnson said was marred by
political interference and was far from transparent.

The decision to delay consideration of the appointment of a
House inquiry team followed a meeting between Akbar and Megawati,
where Akbar reportedly threatened to withdraw Golkar's support
for her government.

The threat came as Megawati remained uncertain of her standing
with Muslim-based parties in particular, who have recently pushed
for the implementation of syariah, or Islamic law.

By sending the Bulog case to the courts, Johnson said Megawati
was ensuring Akbar's political future, as endemic corruption in
the judicial system would make a conviction unlikely.

For example, Johnson said prosecution lawyers could make use
of loopholes in the dossiers to clear Akbar of his status as a
suspect, rendering his investigation by a House special committee
remote.

Moreover, rules of legally admissible evidence would prevent
thorough probing of the case by the attorney general, whose
political links with Akbar date to Soeharto's rule.

University of Indonesia Student Council Executive chief Wisnu
Sunandar said students across Jakarta demanded the establishment
of a House special committee.

He said the case brought the Indonesian government's
commitment to ending entrenched collusion, corruption and
nepotism (KKN) under fire once again.

"I think Akbar will be discharged because the AGO is still
full of the past regime's manpower. In immediate response to the
condition, we plan to call on people to rally in the street,"
Wisnu said.

With the House now stalling discussions on whether to
establish a special committee until March 7, Akbar may yet see
the light at the end of the AGO's tunnel.