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)