Devi Asmarni, Jakarta – About 50 billion rupiah (S$10 million) was allegedly offered to put a stop to a Parliament investigation into the illegal siphoning of 35 billion rupiah from a state agency.
This was the finding of a parliamentary panel, probing the scandal at the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) – dubbed Bulogate – that allegedly implicated President Abdurrahman Wahid.
The committee is set to conclude that Mr Abdurrahman has abused his power, despite a lack of evidence of his involvement and despite its failure to get some of the witnesses to testify.
It also plans to summon the President for questioning next Wednesday, when he is slated to be abroad on a visit to Qatar and Brunei.
"From what we have now, we can already conclude that the President is involved in abuse of power in the Bulog scam," a member of the special team, who requested anonymity, told The Straits Times.
The conclusion is based on testimony of some of the witnesses, who confirmed the President's link to one of the case's main suspects, his jailed former masseur Suwondo, the source said.
The masseur, who was arrested last month after having disappeared in April, allegedly asked Bulog's former deputy, Sapuan, for 35 billion rupiah on behalf of the President.
Sapuan, who is on trial for embezzlement, claimed he disbursed the money because he believed the President had requested it to fund Aceh's rehabilitation programme.
Mr Abdurrahman has repeatedly denied knowledge of the scam. Police have also cleared him of the allegations, focusing its investigation instead on Suwondo for "fraud and for plotting with Sapuan".
The committee has been having problems getting some of the witnesses to testify because they asked to be accompanied by their lawyers. Team member Alvin Lie said that, due to the confidential nature of the questioning sessions, no lawyers should be allowed. "It is guaranteed that their testimonies will not be used against them in a court of law so they really don't need to have their lawyers with them," he told The Straits Times.
The investigating committee has also been rocked by attempted bribery and threats. Mr Alvin admitted that at least two of its members had recently refused a 25-billion-rupiah offer by a tycoon close to the President. He said he had also received threats and blackmail threats by unidentified people.
But other lawmakers are sceptical of the motives of the 50-member strong committee. Although consisting of representatives of all factions in the House, the committee is spearheaded by the same outspoken young lawmakers who have made Mr Abdurrahman's presidency suffer this year.
Legislator Arifin Junaidi of the Nation Awakening Party, referring to Mr Abdurrahman by his nickname, said: "It is part of a conspiracy to undermine Gus Dur." He dismissed the investigation as "irrelevant and insubstantial" and as "nothing to be concerned about".
In addition to Bulogate, the 50-member strong Parliament's team is also investigating another case, centering on a US$2 billion "personal donation" to the President from the Sultan of Brunei.
Mr Alvin said that, within two weeks, the team would able to recommend that Parliament issue a memorandum on Mr Abdurrahman, to which he would be given three months to reply. If his answer was not satisfactory, the Parliament could issue a second memorandum.