INDONESIA: PRESIDENT WAHID REFUSES TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE HEARING IN JAKARTA PROBING TWO FINANCIAL SCANDALS

Record ID: 443053

  • Title: INDONESIA: PRESIDENT WAHID REFUSES TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AT PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE HEARING IN JAKARTA PROBING TWO FINANCIAL SCANDALS
  • Date: 22nd January 2001
  • Summary: JAKARTA, INDONESIA (JANUARY 22, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS INDONESIAN PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID ARRIVING WITH HOUSE SPEAKER AKBAR TANDJUNG (2 SHOTS) 0.14 2. WIDE VIEW PARLIAMENTARIANS SEATED 0.18 3. VARIOUS OF MEETING (4 SHOTS) 0.31 4. CLOSE UP WAHID 0.34 5. WIDE VIEW MEETING 0.38 6. VARIOUS STUDENT PROTESTERS ON BUSES / PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS (3 SHOTS) 0.55 7. MV: POLICE GUARDING CONVENTION CENTRE 0.59 8. SV/SCU: PROTESTERS DEMANDING WAHID'S RESIGNATION (3 SHOTS) 1.13 9. SCU: POSTER SAYING "WAHID WANTED FOR IMPEACHMENT" 1.17 10. HAS: MORE OF PROTEST 1.22 11. SV/MV: WAHID LEAVING MEETING (2 SHOTS) 1.40 12. PAN: WAHID CONVOY LEAVES CONVENTION CENTRE 1.46 13. WIDE VIEW PRESS CONFERENCE 1.51 14. CU: WAHID 1.56 15. SV: PEOPLE STANDING BY 2.00 16. SCU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) INDONESIAN PRESIDENT ABDURRAHMAN WAHID, SAYING "If we enter forum without clarification or something in mind (inaudible) .. its political forum. And then the forum itself cannot explain whether it is a forum for political issue or a law issue.. then you see I left the place without any anger." 2.27 17. MV: WAHID LEAVES PRESS CONFERENCE 2.35 18. SCU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) PRESIDENTIAL SPOKESMAN WIMAR WITOELAR, SAYING "But if you address points of law outside the forum, the President just outlined some chapters in the law which you are free to look up yourselves and draw your own conclusions. As far as the government is concerned we see the committee as being illegal." 2.51 19. WIDE VIEW COMMITTEE PRESSER 2.58 20. SCU: (SOUNDBITE)(English) ALVIN LIE COMMITTEE MEMBER, SAYING: "I cannot say we are going into impeachment or not,.. this committee was formed by the plenary session of the DPR to investigate and to find out the truth behind those two cases. We are not going as far as impeachment or whatever. That is beyond our responsibility." 3.19 21. WIDE VIEW PRESS CONFERENCE 3.23 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 6th February 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JAKARTA, INDONESIA
  • Country: Indonesia
  • Reuters ID: LVA1TR7WHGLPDEDJWBCQA9JV7QIZ
  • Story Text: Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, threatened with
    becoming the latest Asian leader to face impeachment, has
    refused to answer any questions at a parliamentary committee
    hearing probing two financial scandals.


    Wahid's defiance is certain to aggravate his already
    fractured relationship with the House.

    Legislators from a team probing the scandals said the
    president had questioned the legality of the parliamentary
    committee.

    In opening remarks, Wahid refused to take an oath and then
    reiterated that he had done nothing wrong and then left the
    convention centre without further comment after just 30
    minutes.

    While the president was being questioned inside the
    convention centre on Monday (January 22), hundreds of students
    protested outside, calling for Wahid's resignation. Security
    was tight and there were no reports of violence.

    At a press conference at the palace Wahid and his
    spokesman Wimar Witoelar were critical of the committee
    "If the forum itself cannot explain whether it is a forum
    for political issue or a law issue.. then you see I left the
    place without any anger," Wahid told reporters
    Witoelar was equally defiant. "As far as the government
    is concerned we see the committee as being illegal," he said.

    Wahid's bumbling leadership of the explosive country has
    come under mounting criticism, and politicians have said he
    should take note of the dramatic weekend exit from power of
    Philippine President Joseph Estrada. Estrada quit in the
    aftermath of an impeachment trial.

    The parliamentary team was set up in September to look
    into the scandals, one involving the theft of 4.1 million U.S.

    Dollars from the national food agency Bulog by people claiming
    to be acting on Wahid's behalf, including his masseur.

    The other concerns the president's acceptance, outside
    government channels, of a
    2 million US Dollar donation from the Sultan of Brunei in aid
    for the troubled Sumatran province of Aceh.

    Alvin Lie of the National Mandate Party indicated that any
    move towards impeachment would have nothing to do with the
    50-member parliamentary team.

    "I cannot say we are going into impeachment or not,.. the
    committee was formed by the plenary session of the DPR to
    investigate and to find out the truth behind those two cases.

    We are not going as far as impeachment or whatever. That is
    beyond our responsibility," he said.

    The investigation is due to end on January 25 and the
    team's findings made public four days later - an announcement
    that will keep Indonesia's brittle financial markets on a
    knife
    edge.

    Lengthy and complicated impeachment proceedings could
    follow if the inquiry determines any wrongdoing by Wahid, who
    denies breaking any laws.
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