Bulog Head, Trade Minister to be Reported to KPK
Monday, 19 February, 2007 | 16:45 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The Farmers Coalition Team will report the Head of Bulog and the Trade Minister to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) today (19/2) for alleged violations.

Icu Zukafril, the Coalition Team’s Chairperson, said the two officials were responsible for the unclear legitimacy over rice imports from Vietnam.

“It is planned that the examination proposal letter will be handed over to KPK on Monday,” he told Tempo, Saturday (17/2).

Icu, who is also the Coordinator of the Indonesian Farmer-Fisherman Network, is of the opinion that they pushed through market operations that were not procedural to legitimize additional imports of 500,000 tons this coming March through April.

According to him, Bulog conspired with rice mafias and then instructed brokers to buy rice wholesale so that rice prices soared.

The Farmers Coalition includes the Indonesian Farmer-Fisherman Network, the Agricultural Society, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), the Agriculture Council, the Agriculture Union Federation, the Rice and Grinding Association and the Seed Association.

Budi Saiful Haris