Tiarma Siboro

Tiarma Siboro
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Former deputy chief of finance at the State Logistics Agency
(Bulog) Achmad Ruskandar revealed the most damaging evidence yet
against House Speaker Akbar Tandjung on Tuesday, saying that he
personally handed over checks worth Rp 40 billion (US$3.9
million) to then-State Secretary/Cabinet Secretary Akbar in 1999.

Achmad's claim, however, contradicts earlier statements by
Akbar.

Briefing the press after being grilled for almost five hours
by prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office (AGO), Achmad
said he personally handed over the checks to Akbar as instructed
by his superior, former Bulog chairman Rahardi Ramelan.

"I personally handed over Rp 40 billion of the Bulog's non-
budgetary funds directly to Akbar Tandjung in his capacity as
State Secretary/Cabinet Secretary. I did it because my superior
Rahardi Ramelan asked me to do so," Achmad said.

"I don't know the Raudlatul Jannah Foundation or its chairman
Dadang Sukandar," he asserted, referring to Akbar's earlier claim
that he had given the money to Dadang's foundation.

Achmad was questioned as a witness in the Rp 56 billion graft
case, involving Rahardi.

Rahardi, the prime suspect in the Rp 54.6 billion scandal,
said earlier that Akbar took Rp 40 billion of the amount and
former military commander Gen. (ret) Wiranto received Rp 10
billion.

According to Rahardi, Akbar asked for Rp 40 billion from
Bulog, but was told that the agency did not have sufficient cash
to disperse the Rp 40 billion all at once. Bulog and Akbar later
agreed to transfer the sum in two stages.

The first payment was made in April 1999 totaling Rp 20
billion in the form of two checks with a nominal value of Rp 10
billion each. The second payment was made in September 1999, with
Akbar allegedly asking Rahardi to issue four checks for Rp 2
billion each and three checks for Rp 4 billion each.

Supporting Rahardi's statement, Achmad said he gave Akbar Rp
20 billion on Mar. 2, 1999, and another Rp 20 billion on Apr. 20,
1999, both at Akbar's office.

"The funds were actually to be used to purchase basic
commodities for people most affected by the economic crisis,"
Achmad said.

Achmad's statement clearly contradicted Akbar's earlier
statement that he was merely witnessing the handing over of the
checks worth Rp 40 billion from Achmad to Dadang and that he
never actually had the Bulog funds or checks in his possession.

The Raudlatul Jannah Foundation Chairman Dadang Sukandar said
earlier that the Bulog funds were transferred to Winfried
Simatupang, who was responsible for the distribution of food aid
packages as part of the government-sponsored social safety net
program.

Winfried told prosecutors earlier that the money was spent on
food packages that were distributed in a number of provinces.

Many, however, believed that the money was used to help
Golkar's campaign activities as well as to fund the operations of
militias in East Timor.

Meanwhile, the AGO planned to again question Akbar on Thursday
in connection with the alleged misuse of the funds.

The AGO had also summoned former president B.J. Habibie, who
is a key witness in the investigation, for questioning on
Wednesday.

Habibie, however, is reportedly not to come to the AGO on
Wednesday as he is participating in a minor Muslim haj pilgrimage
in Mecca.