Will Akbar's trial end his career in national politics?

Will Akbar's trial end his career in national politics?

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung is
scheduled to stand trial for his alleged involvement in the high-
profile Bulog scandal on Monday, the first time a head of one of
the country's highest institutions has ever been tried in this
country.

What are the implications of the trial to Akbar's political
career, Golkar Party, the multiparty government under President
Megawati Soekarnoputri and Indonesian politics as a whole?

There are no clear indicators to suggest how the trial will
progress.

Akbar, who is also chairman of Golkar, will be tried at
Central Jakarta District Court for allegedly misusing Rp 40
billion (US$4 million) of National Logistics Agency (Bulog)
funds.

The alleged misuse took place in 1999 when Akbar was serving
under then president B.J. Habibie, a Golkar patron.

Akbar claimed that the money had been spent on a humanitarian
program. But his statement turned out to be deceitful, when
Winfried Simatupang -- the contractor of the social relief
program, who is also another suspect in the scandal -- returned
the money to state investigators earlier this month.

Many speculated that the money was channeled to Golkar's
account to help the party's campaign in the 1999 election.

The Rp 40 billion was part of Rp 54.6 billion disbursed by
Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan, another suspect in the scandal who
is also facing trial at South Jakarta District Court.

The decision to bring Akbar's case to court, however, is
believed merely to be in exchange for the DPR's failure to set up
an special inquiry committee, familiarly known by its Indonesian
acronym, Pansus.

In search for a thorough investigation into this case, 50
inter-faction legislators aired a proposal in October last year
on the establishment of the inquiry committee.

The proposal, however, ran into difficulties because of
Golkar's powerful lobbies. Most members of the influential
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction
also preferred the use of the law courts to deal with the high-
profile scandal.

Akbar was declared a suspect on Jan. 7 and detained at the
Attorney General's Office on March 7.

PDI Perjuangan, the country's largest party chaired by
President Megawati, brought to a halt the likelihood that the
scandal would be dealt with through political channels.

On March 18, the day when legislators were supposed to have
their last chance to establish the inquiry committee after a
series of earlier failures, PDI Perjuangan appeared to be the
first faction to delay the plan.

Talk on the establishment of the inquiry committee will resume
in the middle of May, after the House closes its current session
on March 28 for a period of recess.

Noted lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis doubted the trial of Akbar
would thoroughly uncover the financial scandal because Akbar's
dossier had been combined into one document with other suspects
in the case -- Dadang Sukandar (chairman of Raudhatul Jannah
Foundation) who distributed the money, and Winfried.

Despite its legitimacy, combining the dossiers into one
document could arouse suspicions that the three suspects have
concealed the truth, Todung told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

"As this could halt legal proceedings. It would be much better
to separate the dossiers (of the three suspects)," Todung said.

The trial has also prompted speculation as to whether the
legal process will terminate Akbar's political career, in the
House of Representatives (DPR) and in Golkar, the country's
second largest party.

Golkar is campaigning aggressively against the establishment
of the inquiry committee for fear of possible damage caused to
Akbar's political career and the party itself.

There has also been a rumor circulating that his position as
Golkar chairman has become the target of rivalries among
political camps within the party.

A senior member of Golkar Party, A.A. Baramuli, one of the
most influential figures in the party from eastern Indonesia, has
repeatedly called for an extraordinary congress to replace Akbar.

However, Rully Chairul Azwar, Golkar's deputy secretary
general, dismissed the speculation, saying there has been no talk
of replacing Akbar.

Rully emphasized the legal proceedings against Akbar would not
make Golkar -- which has three ministers in Megawati's Cabinet --
withdraw its political support for the current government.

"We will be objective in criticizing the government," he
added.

Meanwhile, Akbar's position in the House will remain
undisturbed because there are no rules that can force him to
relinquish his top legislative post, despite the fact that he is
facing trial.