Legal Counsel Confirms SEA Games Debt Is Not The Responsibility Of Bambang Trihatmodjo

Bambang Trihatmodjo's Legal Counsel Team, Hardjuno Wiwoho. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - Bambang Trihatmodjo's legal efforts against the Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani for the 1997 SEA Games XIX debt bill are still ongoing. Bambang Trihatmodjo's Legal Team, Hardjuno Wiwoho reiterated that his client was not the party responsible for the debt at the celebration.

The party responsible for the 1997 SEA Games bailout case was PT Tata Insani Mukti as the consortium executor.

"So, PT Tata Insani Mukti is responsible for the accounts payable. This is as historical and juridical facts that have been studied comprehensively," said Hardjuno in his statement in Jakarta, Thursday, September 16.

According to him, the responsibility of PT Tata Insani Mukti in the case of the 1997 SEA Games XIX bailout is unavoidable. Moreover, this SEA Games is very special which was not prepared beforehand, because Indonesia replaced Brunei Darussalam which suddenly withdrew as the host.

This is stated in Presidential Decree No. I of 1996 concerning the XIX Sea Games in Jakarta. As a follow-up, the Kepmenkokesra was issued regarding private organizer partners who were asked to help raise funds for the SEA Games.

The consortium was asked to provide a maximum of IDR 70 billion in funds. This was then stated in the MoU between PT Tata Insani Mukti as the executor of the consortium and the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI).

However, it turns out that the costs required exceed the consortium's ability. Because in addition to the cost of organizing the SEA Games, athlete coaching costs are also needed.

Because it does not have a SEA Games budget in the APBN, the state through the State Secretariat takes a loan from the KLH reforestation fund. The State Secretariat provided a loan to a private consortium of partners to organize the 1997 SEA Games XIX, with a term of 8 October 1997 to 8 October 1998 with the President's consensus with the consortium.

If the audit result exceeds Rp70 billion, the loan funds will be converted into Presidential Assistance (Banpres) for the SEA Games XIX because this event is in the interests and interests of the state. But what happened, May 20, 1998 President Soeharto resigned from RI I.

This change in the national political situation greatly affects the existing mechanisms. So that in 1998 an audit was conducted with the result that the cost of the SEA Games spent by the consortium was Rp. 156 billion.

The costs incurred by the consortium have been reported to the Minister of Youth and Sports, the Minister of State Secretariat and KONI. However, this report was not responded to until a meeting with Commission VII DPR RI in 1999.

Hardjuno has a firm legal position, the SEA Games Organizing Partner Consortium (KMP) is not a legal entity.

"PT Implementing KMP is the one who legally has legal standing, in this case PT Tata Insani Mukti," he explained.

Regarding the TUN aquo lawsuit, as a person, Bambang Trihatmodjo objected if he was considered responsible for the direct legal relationship between the consortium and the state. If it is considered an obligation, then it is the obligation of PT Tata Insani Mukti as a legal subject.

Even Hardjuno said, Bambang Trihatmodjo had also sued PT Tata Insani Mukti. The verdict has reached the South Jakarta District Court.

The reason is that Bambang Trihatmodjo's personal money is widely used so it is appropriate to ask for accountability for the use of funds of Rp. 156 billion used by the Consortium for the implementation of the 1997 Sea Games XIX.

"So, this issue must be comprehensively reviewed, juridically, politically, sociologically, historically. Considering that the XIX SEA Games are in the interests and intentions of the state and Indonesia to become the overall champion," he said.

SEA Games XIX, said Hardjuno, is very special when compared to other SEA Games. In fact, the state initially did not issue APBN funds, instead the consortium sought funds for its implementation.

"Try to compare it with the 2011 SEA Games. The source of funding is from the state budget. When compared proportionally, the amount of funds for the 2011 SEA Games is very large compared to the last XIX SEA Games," he concluded.