KPK TO INVESTIGATE BEEF CASE AT AGRICULTURE MINISTRY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Feb 6 (Antara) - Investigators will probe agriculture ministry officials after they have arrested two beef importer firm directors, one political party chief and his close associate over an alleged bribery deal on beef import worth billions of rupiah.          Johan Budi, spokesman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said his agency would not stop its investigation at only the arrest of the four suspects by his commission. He indicated that the KPK would investigate the case at the ministry of agriculture.          "We need to investigate the alleged bribery linked to the issuance of a permit for the importation of beef. In the coming one or two weeks we will invite agriculture ministry officials. If need be, we will summon the minister of agriculture to ask for clarifications," the KPK spokesman said on Tuesday.          According to KPK Chief Abraham Samad, the questioning of Agriculture Minister Suswono as a witness is important to enrich KPK's investigation. "He will be questioned soon," he added.          He said the questioning was needed to enrich KPK's investigation of the case linked to former president of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq.          Samad said there were also other witnesses that would possibly be questioned besides Suswono in an effort to find possible other persons involved in the case.          The KPK has arrested Juard Effendi, Arya Abdi Effendi (both are directors of beef importer PT Indoguna Utama), Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq (a lawmaker and president of the Prosperous Justice Party /PKS) and his close friend Ahmad Fathanah.            The anti-graft body also confiscated as evidence a cash of Rp1 billion, put in black crinkle paper bag. The money was a down payment of a commitment fee worth Rp40 billion pledged for the issuance of a permit to import 8,000 tons of beef by PT Indoguna Utama.          Juard dan Arya were arrested by the KPK on Tuesday (Jan 29) at Arya's house in Cakung, East Jakarta after handing over Rp1 billion to Ahmad Fathanah at the PT Indoguna Utama building. Ahmad Fathanah himself was arrested at Le Meredien Hotel in Jakarta.          KPK spokesman Johan Budi said KPK had evidence the money was to be given to Luthfi, who denied the allegation. Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq officially announced his resignation two days after his arrest on graft charges.          In a press conference Luthfi said," it is part of political struggle. PKS must continue to grow with or without me."  "I am just facing a legal case and I would certainly need time to follow the process to prove whether or not I am guilty and this problem will be part of PKS' struggle," he said.          Johan budi said that his commission would investigate not only the four suspects but also officials at the ministry of agriculture.          According to KPK Chief Abraham Samad, the questioning of  the agriculture minister  was needed to enrich KPK's investigation of the case.  Samad said there were also other witnesses that would possibly be questioned besides Agriculture Minister Suswono in an effort to find possible other persons involved in the case.          Minister Suswono has earlier expressed his readiness to be summoned for the questioning.          He however told reporters after attending a public discussion on import policy for agricultural products that he actually did not understand the case. Moreover, the cow meat import policy had been determined by the economic affairs ministry.          The minister said he was not well-informed of the beef import procedures so that he always referred matters of beef import to Animal Husbandry Director General Syukur Iwantoro.          "I do not understand clearly the beef import mechanism. It is in the hand of the director general of animal husbandry. Yet, I will clarify it later," Minister Suswono said on Tuesday.          He said that even though he did not understand technical matters regarding beef imports, he would explain the matter to the KPK and to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.          President Yudhoyono has said that he would summon Agriculture Minister Suswono to ask for explanations with regard to the alleged beef import bribe now being handled by the KPK.          "The people and I surely want to know the results of the investigations. I will summon the agriculture minister after arriving at home," the president who was on a four-nation tour of Liberia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, said in Jidda on Monday.          The president said he would ask the minister to make oral and written reports with regard to the case. "I will ask him to make a written report as guidance for me to see what an active minister has stated to the legal institutions. It is just the same as what in the past active Minister Andi Mallarangeng has done," President Yudhoyono said.           The president said that if later the case involved the ministry of agriculture, his government will take administrative step while leaving the legal matters to the anti-graft commission KPK.           Minister Suwono said he would abide by the legal process now being proceeding at the KPK and police. He appreciated the KPK steps to professionally uncover the bribery case at his ministry.          He said that in order not to repeat similar cases in the future, his ministry would avail itself of receiving inputs from outsiders on future beef imports. Possibly, the best way is to invite tenders for beef importer companies.          Suswono explained that the authority to import beef was in the hand of the ministry of trade, regardless of the fact that of the six importation criteria, four are in the hands of the ministry of agriculture and the ministry of trade.          "For beef importation, the ministries of industry, trade, agriculture and the office of the coordinating minister for economic affairs would hold a coordination meeting to decide it," he said.          Following a decision taken at the coordination meeting, beef importer firms of each ministry would file an import permit request with the trade ministry and would later be verified by the trade ministry and agriculture ministry.          "After getting a permit for the importation from the ministry of trade, importers will get allocation for beef import volumes from the agriculture ministry," he said.***2*** (T.A014/f001) (T.A. Abdussalam/A/A. Abdussalam/F. Assegaf) 06-02-2013 14:59: