Author of Lapindo Conspiracy Book Reported Missing
Faisal Maliki Baskoro | June 23, 2012
Ali Azhar Akbar (holding microphone) discusses his controversial book 'Lumpur Lapindo File: Konspirasi SBY-Bakrie' ('The Lapindo Mud File: SBY-Bakrie Conspiry') at the National University in Jakarta in this May 28, 2012 file photo. Ali has been missing since June 19, 2012, prompting fears that the author has been kidnapped. (Antara Photo)
Ali Azhar Akbar, the author of the controversial book "Lumpur Lapindo File: Konspirasi SBY-Bakrie" ("The Lapindo Mud File: SBY-Bakrie Conspiry"), has been missing since Tuesday and thought to be kidnapped.
Mulyana Wirakusumah, a political analyst and a close friend of Ali said the author was last seen in public on Tuesday at the Constitutional Court after filing a judicial review of Article 18 of the state budget law, which allows the government to use of state funds to cover damages and compensation related to the 2006 Lapindo mudflow disaster.
"Families and close friends haven't heard from him since then. It's not like him to disappear for three days without getting in contact with anyone," Mulyana said on Saturday.
Ali was supposed to attend book discussion at the Bandung Institute of Technology on Friday, but he did not showed up. His absence set off concerns for his safety.
Mulyana said that Ali, who is also a legal activist, received threats prior to his disappearance, but Mulyana stopped short from saying the disappearance is related to Ali's book.
"The threats suggest that he was kidnapped, but it's still too early to say. I just hope and ask the police to work quickly," he said.
He said Ali has written two books related to the Lapindo Mudflow disaster in Sidoarjo, East Java. The first one provided background information and the events related to the disaster, while the second book was about a conspiracy between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who is linked with oil and gas company Lapindo Brantas. His business group range from coal mining to property.
Bakrie is also considered a strong contender in the 2014 presidential election.
Lapindo's drilling activities in East Java is widely blamed for triggering the mud volcano in May 2006, which caused more than 10,000 families to abandon their homes.
The government never made an official statement about the cause of the disaster, but told the holding company, Minarak Lapindo Jaya, to pay compensation to victims. Lapindo has so far paid out Rp 2.5 trillion ($265 million).
The government itself allocated Rp 6.2 trillion from the state budget for the compensation process. This year's state budget for the Lapindo mudflow is about Rp 1.5 trillion.
On June 15, the Constitutional Court began reviewing a provision in the state budget that allows the government to use taxpayer money to compensate victims of the Sidoarjo mud volcano in East Java.
"Ali is fighting to stop the government from using state money to pay for Lapindo's mistakes," Mulyana said.
Tjut Sukiadi, a close friend of Ali, denied the possibility that the author disappearance was a publicity stunt for the book.
"This is not a business strategy," Tjut said.
Tjut added that several days ago, Ali told his friends that he had been receiving threatening text messages.
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