Jakarta calls ex-president Habibie for graft probe

15/05/2001| IslamWeb

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's Attorney-General's office said it had summoned former president B.J. Habibie for questioning on Wednesday over a 54.6 billion rupiah (5.3 million) scandal involving state food agency Bulog.

The summons follows earlier investigations into parliamentary speaker Akbar Tandjung and former military chief Wiranto who both said Habibie instructed Bulog funds be used for humanitarian programmes when he was leading crisis-racked Indonesia in 1999.

Tandjung and Wiranto denied any wrongdoing.

"We have sent the summons to his Jakarta home. Mister Habibie is due to be questioned on Wednesday… as a witness in the Bulog case," office spokesman Mulyo Hardjo told Reuters.

The former president, who now lives overseas, was not immediately available for comment.

Habibie left Indonesia after a failed bid to continue his presidency in the late 1999 presidential elections and he is currently living in Germany.