Suwondo returns Rp 10b of Bulog's money: Police

Suwondo returns Rp 10b of Bulog's money: Police

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid's masseur, Suwondo,
handed over Rp 10 billion on Tuesday as the first installment of
the Rp 35 billion (US$4.1 million) in funds he secured from the
State Logistics Agency (Bulog), a police officer said.

"Suwondo, through his wife Teti Sunarti, returned Rp 10
billion of Yanatera's (Bulog's employees foundation) funds
today," city police detectives chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo
told reporters at his office.

Suwondo signed an agreement on May 24 that he was willing to
repay the entire Rp 35 billion by the end of next month at the
latest.

Alex did not mention how the payment was made, but said it was
delivered to National Police Headquarters.

He only mentioned that it might be difficult to regain the
remaining Rp 25 billion as it had been distributed to three
different parties.

Earlier media reports said Rp 15 billion went to a bank
account of deputy chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle's (PDI Perjuangan) research and development department
head Suko Sudarso, another Rp 5 billion to an account of Leo
Purnomo, a staff member at Air Wagon (AWAIR) air freight,
reportedly owned by president Abdurrahman, and the other Rp 5
billion to an account of Siti Farika, a Central Java-based
businesswoman.

Suwondo, Purnomo and Farika are now at large, while Suko
testified before city police detectives on both Monday and
Tuesday over the Rp 15 billion transfer.

Separately, a lawyer of Suko, Petrus Llayona, hinted on
Tuesday that city police would temporarily cease questioning his
client over the Bulog scam.

"Police have every right to seize the controversial Rp 15
billion and the 200 hectares of land in South Cianjur as evidence
in the case. Suko has nothing to do with the case," Petrus told
reporters.

Suko has been questioned over the withdrawal of Rp 15 billion
of the total Rp 35 billion from the Citibank branch on Jl.
Sudirman in South Jakarta on Jan. 20.

Suko earlier claimed that the money belonged to Hendrie
Arioseno, a friend who did not want to put the money into his own
Bank Bali account, since the bank "had its own share of
problems."

Alex said the Rp 15 billion was allegedly used to pay for the
purchase of 200 hectares of land in South Cianjur, West Java,
which was to be used by Suwondo to build a garden house.

The purchase of the land took place on Jan. 5 this year.

Hendrie, who showed up on Monday evening at city police
headquarters to testify as a witness, told reporters that he sold
the land to Suwondo on Jan. 5 and received the money as payment
for the land.

"Where that money came from is none of my business. I buy and
sell land; that's my business," Hendrie told reporters on Monday
night.

Petrus, in turn, said that from the start to date, all 138
land certificates of the 200 hectares of the South Cianjur land
were in the possession of a notary public, identified only as Ali
Maksum, who lives on Jl. Mesjid in South Cianjur.

"All media reports which stated that those certificates were
put up as collateral by Suwondo and handed to Sapuan, so that
Sapuan could disburse the Rp 35 billion loan are nonsense,"
Petrus said.

"All those certificates are still in the hands of Ali Maksum."

Suko has so far been questioned as a witness (not a suspect as
reported in Tuesday's paper), in connection with the scam.

Meanwhile, Alex said he would call Suko whenever the police
needed additional information from him.

"We can call him anytime. I have yet to see the 200 hectares
of land and seize it," Alex said.

Police have declared only three suspects in the Bulog case,
namely Suwondo, Bulog deputy chief Sapuan and Yanatera chairman
Mulyono.

Sapuan told a hearing with House Commission III for
agriculture and plantations last Friday that he agreed to
disburse the Rp 35 billion from Yanatera after he was directly
asked by President Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, during a
meeting on Jan. 7.

The money was then sent to Suwondo, who put up his 200-hectare
land in South Cianjur as collateral, which was said to be a loan,
the lawyer said.

"But, Sapuan so far only holds land certificates for 80
hectares," Isnul Tandjung, Sapuan's lawyer, said.

Petrus told reporters on Tuesday that he did not know which
certificates Isnul was talking about, since all the land
certificates of the 200 hectares of land in South Cianjur, were
in the hands of Ali Maksum.

In a related development, Alex Bambang told reporters that
palace official Wahyu Muryadi had been invited for questioning on
Wednesday as a witness.

"He should come along on Wednesday morning. I just want to
know whether he really escorted Sapuan to have a face-to-face
meeting with Gus Dur on Jan. 7 ... and some other things also,"
Alex said. (ylt)