Witness admits telling lies to save Akbar

Witness admits telling lies to save Akbar

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A key witness in the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandal
admitted on Tuesday that he tried to save former Minister/State
Secretary Akbar Tandjung by falsifying documents about the use of
the Rp 40 billion (US$4.09 million) fund.

After more than six hours of questioning, Winfried Simatupang,
a contractor, confessed to the South Jakarta District Court that
he lied because he did not want Akbar to be involved in the
scandal.

"What do you care about Akbar? You are a businessman, you
should have thought about making a profit. Is it true that the
'scenario' was made to save Akbar?" asked Trimoelja D. Soerjadi,
who leads a team of lawyers defending Rahardi Ramelan, a former
Bulog chief.

"A part of it," Winfried said.

He referred to the falsifying of documents stating that the Rp
40 billion was spent on a charity project in 1999.

When Trimoelja asked further about why Winfried wanted to save
Akbar, presiding judge Lalu Mariyun cut his question by
explaining that Winfried had already answered the question.

Later in the day, judge Lalu announced that the court granted
Rahardi's request to change his detention status to house arrest.

Rahardi had been detained in the Cipinang Penitentiary, East
Jakarta, since Feb. 8.

The defendant, according to the judge, is suffering from
bronchitis and a hernia, and needs intensive medical care. The
penitentiary has no adequate medical facilities or any medical
specialists.

Rahardi, also a former trade and industry minister, is accused
of embezzling Rp 62.9 billion of Bulog funds in 1999.

He allegedly gave Rp 40 billion to Akbar, Rp 10 billion to
former minister of defense/military chief Gen.(ret.) Wiranto, and
handed over the rest to various parties, including the
presidential guards.

Winfried, along with Akbar, who is now the House of
Representatives speaker and the Golkar Party chairman, and Dadang
Sukandar, chairman of Raudlatul Jannah Foundation, are being
tried separately at the Central Jakarta District Court for the
misappropriation of Rp 40 billion of the total amount.

Many believe that Akbar used the money for Golkar's 1999
election campaign. Akbar has denied the allegations.

According to the indictment, Akbar gave Rp 40 billion to the
foundation, which later appointed Winfried as the contractor
responsible for the disbursement of food packages for the
supposedly charitable project for the needy between March 1999
and September 1999.

Winfried told the court on Tuesday that he had channeled Rp
7.28 billion to several regencies in East Java and Central Java
after an order from the foundation in March 1999.

In May 1999, Winfried said, Dadi Surjadi, the project manager,
asked him to cancel the work due to security reasons. Winfried,
however, continued to get the money from the foundation, totaling
Rp 40 billion.

Winfried claimed that he used the funds to buy foreign
currency.

"I bought US$3.1 million from street dollar vendors in Kwitang
and the nearby Pasar Baru area, Central Jakarta. I didn't know
their names.

"It was the project manager's order. He asked me to keep the
cash in my house as he knew I have two cabinets in my bedroom,"
Winfried said, attempting to blame Dadi, a taxi driver turned
project manager who died in May 2000.

Winfried claimed that he kept the dollars in his two filing
cabinets and Rp 8 billion in his drawer "which had a special
key".

"Weren't you afraid the money would rot?" asked J. Kamaru,
another lawyer representing Rahardi.

"I opened the cabinets doors several times to prevent it from
rotting. I have an air-conditioner in my room," Winfried
answered.

Earlier this year, in a bizarre twist, Winfried paid the Rp 40
billion back to the Attorney General's Office. Photo -- Page 4