Sukhois to arrive on Tuesday
Two of the four Sukhoi jet fighters that Indonesia bought from Russia through a countertrade deal in April will arrive here on Tuesday.
Air Force spokesman Commodore Sagoem Tamboen said on Sunday that the two Sukhoi-30 jet fighters were scheduled to land at the Iswahyudi Air Base in Madiun, East Java, on Tuesday morning.
"According to the plan, the jet fighters will be transported by Antonov cargo aircraft belonging to the Russian government," Sagoem told The Jakarta Post.
Indonesian military (TNI) Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, Air Force Chief of Staff Marshal Chappy Hakim and other top TNI leaders are expected to attend a ceremony to mark the arrival of the warplanes at the Air Base.
Meanwhile, Effendy Choirie, an outspoken legislator who chairs the House of Representatives working committee probing allegations of corruption in the Sukhoi deal, said his committee would continue investigating the case even if the deal was already executed.
During a visit to Russia in April, President Megawati Soekarnoputri signed a memorandum of understanding on the purchase of two Sukhoi-30s, two Sukhoi-27s, and two MI-35 assault helicopters through a countertrade deal worth US$192.6 million.
Sagoem said the two Sukhoi-27s and two helicopters would arrive here not long after the delivery of the Sukhoi-30s.
Legislators, while acknowledging the importance of acquiring new weaponry, have questioned the choice of Sukhoi jet fighters and the procedures involved in the purchase of the warplanes.
The deal was signed without the involvement of the Ministry of Defense, which under the prevailing defense law is responsible for procuring weaponry for the country's armed forces.
The lawmakers have also questioned the involvement of a number of businesspeople and individuals, whom the lawmakers say lack experience in this area. One of the businessmen involved in the deal, Marimutu Manimaren, committed suicide early this month.
Effendy Choirie also slammed what he called the government's stubbornness in pursuing the Sukhoi deal and regretted its decision to go ahead with the deal despite the ongoing probe by the House.
"This is a major sign of disrespect for the House," said Effendy, adding that the probe would be completed by the end of September, when the working committee is expected to announce its findings.
The TNI had said earlier that it planned to buy 48 Sukhoi jet fighters over the next four years to modernize the country's air defense system, which has suffered greatly from a military embargo imposed by the United States since 1999. -- JP