Yusril says he is ready for lawsuit

JAKARTA (JP): Crescent Star Party chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra said he was prepared to face a lawsuit filed by a rival group of 16 former party executives over alleged money politics.

"As a person who is committed to law enforcement, I will give a good example by giving an objective and true explanation, if needed, to the police on the matter," he said after announcing the party's new executive lineup here on Monday.

Yusril was responding to a move by the opposing group which submitted a preliminary report to the National Police concerning a reported Rp 1 billion donation from former president B.J. Habibie to the party last year.

The report of the alleged irregularity was presented by Fadli Zon, Farid Prawiranegara and Abdul Qadir Djaelani earlier on Monday.

Yusril said he did not include the 16 in the new executive board because they did not accept the legitimacy of the party's recent congress.

Sahar L. Hassan, Achmad Sumargono and Zubair Bakry were appointed deputies to the chairman while M.S. Kaban and Baharudin Tjatjo were named secretary-general and treasurer respectively.

Yusril, who is also the minister of law and legislation, reiterated that there was no discrepancy between his and Habibie's accounts on the fund.

"I received no money from Habibie but he assisted in me securing financial assistance from certain people whom we consider unnecessary to identify here," he said.

He said he obtained the money from several people but considered it financial aid from the former president.

The donation, he added, did not violate a 1999 law on political parties because it was given in January, around one month before the law took effect.

"And the fund was used to finance the party's national meeting and not our campaign," he said.

According to the law, a party is allowed to receive donations of up to Rp 15 million from an individual and up to Rp 150 million from institutions.

Meanwhile, Watik Pratiknya, Habibie's personal secretary, said the former president would not meet the election commission's summons to explain his role in the donation. Watik insisted the commission, which will soon be abolished, has no authority to probe into the matter.

"We have studied all the laws regulating financial assistance to political parties. In the case of the donation to PBB (the party), it is the Supreme Court that has the authority to investigate the case," Watik said upon announcing next week's launching of the Habibie Center.

The election commission has twice summoned Habibie. (01/rms)