AGO releases Ginandjar on court order<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar
\nKartasamita walked out of his cell at the Attorney General's
\nOffice on Wednesday after the South Jakarta District Court ruled
\nhis detention illegal.<\/p>\n
However, the investigation of Ginandjar, who is accused of
\nabuse of power while a minister in the early 1990s resulting in
\nUS$24.8 million in state losses, will continue.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar, now a deputy speaker of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly, left the Attorney General's Office in his official
\nVolvo sedan at around 6 p.m. He went to the At Taqwa Mosque in
\nKebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, to pray with his family and
\nsupporters.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar refused to answer questions as he left, but
\ndistributed a written statement to journalists saying his case
\nhad been politicized.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, the South Jakarta District Court ruled in
\nfavor on Ginandjar, declaring that the Attorney General's Office
\nhad no legal basis to detain the suspect.<\/p>\n
The court also ordered state prosecutors to pay Ginandjar Rp 1
\nmillion in compensation and to restore his name and dignity.<\/p>\n
It took seven hours following the court's decision for state
\nprosecutors to issue a notification of Ginandjar's release.<\/p>\n
The former minister had filed a suit with the district court
\nquestioning the legality of the state prosecutors' investigation
\nof him and his detention.<\/p>\n
In the suit, Ginandjar claimed that because he was an active
\nmilitary officer when the alleged corruption took place, only the
\nmilitary had the right to investigate and detain him. Ginandjar
\nretired from the Air Force in 1996 as a vice marshal.<\/p>\n
The district court ruled on April 16 that all legal measures
\ntaken against Ginandjar before April 9, the day a joint civil-
\nmilitary investigative team was formed to handle the
\ninvestigation, were unlawful.<\/p>\n
State prosecutors claimed this decision was ambiguous and
\nrefused to release Ginandjar, who was detained on April 6.<\/p>\n
To legalize the former minister's detention, the joint team
\nissued a new arrest warrant effective until April 28. They
\nextended this for an additional 40 days effective until June 7.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar lodged a second suit with the district court over
\nthis new warrant. In its ruling on Wednesday, the court avoided
\nany ambiguity in ordering the immediate release of Ginandjar.<\/p>\n
There was a minor incident as Ginandjar was leaving the
\nAttorney General's Office. Supporters of the former minister
\nblocked reporters and photographers from getting near Ginandjar.<\/p>\n
One of Ginandjar's lawyers, Mohamad Assegaf, was seen trying
\nto prevent a scuffle between reporters and Ginandjar's
\nsupporters. Some 50 police officers stepped in to separate the
\ngroups.<\/p>\n
In a statement made available to the Post in the evening,
\nGinandjar's son Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita expressed regret over
\nthe scuffle, saying those involved were not Ginandjar's
\nbodyguards nor did they have any relation to the family.<\/p>\n
Separately, legal expert Todung Mulya Lubis said he was
\ndisappointed with the court's decision.<\/p>\n
He criticized the court's reluctance to make a bold decision
\nto help the country in its effort to combat corruption, collusion
\nand nepotism. Todung suggested the Attorney General's Office
\nappeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. (02\/bby\/rbw)<\/p>",
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