Vice President Says Will Let Legal Authorities Question Sister

Jakarta, Oct 4 (Antara) - Vice President Boediono has urged legal enforcers to question his sister Tuti Iswari for her alleged involvement in a beef import scandal after her name was mentioned by Agriculture Minister Suswono during in a corruption court session. "I will let the court summon my sister for a legal process so that all will become clear and transparent. I will support legal enforcers if they want to summon my sister," the vice president told the press at the vice presidential office on Friday. Boediono admitted that he was surprised to hear that his sister had a business firm, because so far he had only known his sister to be actively involved in a social organization. The vice president said that he had heard the news of the allegations on Thursday and had asked his sister to honestly explain her actual involvement in the issue to the public. "To the best of my knowledge, my sister is a retired employee of Bank Indonesia (BI/the central bank). So, I am surprised when her name was mentioned in this case," the vice president noted. He stated that he was unaware of his sister being active in any business and since the beginning of his tenure as a public official had asked all of his family members not to use his position, directly or indirectly, for forwarding their personal interests. "Up till now, I still uphold this principle very firmly for my family and relatives," he stressed. When he had taken to the stand as a witness in the corruption court (Tipikor) in Jakarta on Thursday, Agriculture Minister Suswono had revealed the role of a woman mentioned as Bunda Putri, who was said to have had alleged business relations with Hilmi Aminuddin (Chairman of the Legislative Council of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Hilmi`s son Ridwan Hakim, Fathanah and Minister Suswono himself. It was alleged that a meeting was held between Luthfi Hasan (then president of PKS), Bunda Putri and Ridwan Hakim on January 28, 2013, or the day before the arrest of Fathanah by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). It was also revealed that Suswono had once visited Bunda Putri`s house in Pondok Indah and it was evident that Bunda Putri had acted as a decision maker in a number of business deals. "I have just been out of town and I need quick information regarding a claim that she was the vice president`s younger sister. She (Bunda Putri), who has known to the director general (of animal husbandry), wanted to introduce a company which was willing to import (beef). As far as I know, she (Bunda Putri) once took Boediono`s younger sister to Kalimantan. Because I remember that thing, I tried to meet her to assure whether it was truly the vice president`s sister," Suswono stated. He further told the court that the name of the vice president`s sister was Tuti. "During my meeting with Bunda Putri, the name of the person she wanted to introduce to the director general for animal husbandry, if I am not mistaken, was Tuti. That is why I tried to meet her (who claimed she was Tuti, the vice president`s sister) whether it was true or not, because it could just be any person posing as her," the minister explained. However, the person named Tuti that Suswono mentioned is not a businesswoman. After giving his testimony, Minister Suswono said a company, which was reportedly owned by the vice president`s younger sister, had not taken part in the tender auction (of beef imports). "There was no follow up," he said. Earlier this year, the KPK had arrested Juard Effendi, Arya Abdi Effendi (both are directors of beef importer PT Indoguna Utama), Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq (then a lawmaker and president of the Prosperous Justice Party /PKS) and his close friend Ahmad Fathanah. The anti-graft body also confiscated as evidence, cash of up to Rp1 billion, which was put in a black crinkle paper bag. The money was allegedly a down payment for a commitment fee worth Rp40 billion, which was pledged for issuing a permit to import 8,000 tons of beef by PT Indoguna Utama. Juard Effendi and Arya Abdi Effendi were arrested by the KPK on Jan. 29 at Arya`s house in Cakung, East Jakarta after being caught while handing over Rp1 billion to Fathanah at the PT Indoguna Utama building. Fathanah himself was arrested at the Le Meredien Hotel in Jakarta. KPK spokesman Johan Budi stated that the KPK had evidence the money was to be given to Ishaaq, who denied the allegations. Ishaaq had officially announced his resignation two days after his arrest on graft charges.