IOC Member Hasan Detained Over the Misuse of State Funds

M. Mohamad (Bob) Hasan, Indonesia’s delegate to the International Olympic Committee, was detained weeks ago in his country in connection with allegations of corruption, and apparently is still in custody, officials said Saturday.

Hasan, 69, a close friend of former Indonesian president Suharto, was detained March 28 in connection with allegations that one of Hasan’s companies misused state funds, according to Asian press accounts.

An Indonesian delegate to the Assn. of National Olympic Committees’ meeting here, which concluded Saturday after a weeklong session, said Hasan is still in custody and Indonesian sports officials have had no contact with him for weeks.

Developments involving Hasan, which have received virtually no attention in the Western press, mean the IOC--still struggling to recover from the corruption scandal involving Salt Lake City’s winning bid for the 2002 Winter Games--may once again be forced to confront the conduct of one of its members.

IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch, asked Saturday about Hasan, said he knew very little about Hasan’s current situation.

Samaranch said of Hasan: “He was very close to [Suharto],” who was forced out of office in May 1998 amid economic turmoil and social unrest. “He played golf two to three times a week with [Suharto]. That’s all I know.”

Hasan is an industrialist who has held extensive timber interests. Under Suharto, his companies reportedly enjoyed vast and lucrative privileges.

Press accounts indicated that the Indonesian attorney general’s office is questioning Hasan over allegations that one of his companies squandered state funds intended to be used to make aerial maps of Indonesian forests.

The amount of money was extensive, according to the director of corruption crimes for the Indonesian attorney general’s office.

As he was taken into custody, Hasan said to reporters: “I’m not a detainee, so please ask my lawyers.”

No one answered repeated phone calls at the numbers listed for Hasan in the Olympic movement directory.

Hasan is an influential sports figure in Asia. He has been president of an Asian track and field federation for more than a decade.