Suwondo may get three years for Bulog scam

Suwondo may get three years for Bulog scam

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid's former masseur
Muhammad Alip Agung Suwondo is facing a possible three-year jail
term for his alleged role in the Bulog scandal.

Prosecutor Nurlis Sembiring asked the North Jakarta District
Court on Tuesday to jail Suwondo for fraud in the disbursement of
Rp 35 billion (US$3.5 million) in funds of the State Logistics
Agency (Bulog).

"The defendant, claiming that he acted on behalf of the
President as his personal assistant, ordered former Bulog deputy
chairman Sapuan to withdraw the money from the employee
foundation, Yanatera," Nurlis said.

Suwondo said the President needed the money for humanitarian
aid in Aceh, the prosecutor said.

"However, the money was never used for humanitarian aid in
Aceh," he told the court presided over by Judge Suwandi.

The defendant kept Rp 10 billion for himself, and gave another
Rp 20 billion to his relatives, including businesswoman Siti
Farika who received some Rp 5 billion, an official of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Suko
Sudarso who received some Rp 15 billion and Leo Purnomo, an
employee of Awair, an airline company owned by the President and
the defendant, the prosecutor said.

Five prosecutors of the Jakarta High Prosecutor office chaired
by Nurlis alternately read out the 89-page indictment during the
hearing.

They also mentioned Suwondo's conflicting testimony as one of
the damning factors.

"However, the defendant has been polite during the trial and
has expressed regret. The defendant has also returned some Rp 16
billion to the foundation," Nurlis said.

The prosecutors have also seized three luxury cars belonging
to Suwondo.

The House of Representatives had formed a special committee to
investigate the case, along with another US$2 million financial
scandal known as Bruneigate. The House also submitted files of
the case to the Attorney General and the National Police Chief,
demanding legal proceedings.

As a result of the conclusion drawn by the now defunct special
committee, the House asked the People's Consultative Assembly to
hold the Assembly special session. The session, scheduled to be
held on Aug. 1, could result in the impeachment of the President,
even though the Attorney General's Office has cleared him in the
Bulog and Brunei scandals.

Earlier in March, the South Jakarta District Court had also
sentenced Sapuan to two years in jail for his part in the
scandal.

Suwondo, who remained silent during the trial, told reporters
after prosecutors read out their demand that he would just
surrender his fate to the court.

Asked if the President had helped him, Suwondo said Gus Dur
did not care about him.

Meanwhile, Suwondo's Lawyer Deny Azlani Latief said that the
prosecutors had failed to differentiate between the funds
earmarked for humanitarian aid in Aceh, and the funds in the
business deal between Sapuan and Suwondo.

"What was done by Sapuan and Suwondo was just an ordinary
business deal. Sapuan lent Suwondo some Rp 35 billion taken from
the Yanatera foundation. These funds, of course, had nothing to
do with the funds requested by the President for humanitarian aid
in Aceh.

"Based on their agreement, Suwondo promised to pay the money
back to Sapuan under certain terms. So, who has suffered losses
anyway?" Deny said.

The trial was adjourned until July 3, to hear the statement
from the defense lawyers. (02)