Amien refuses to name person behind document leak<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amien Rais has refused to name a person he
\ncalled very knowledgeable of "the scenario" for the leaking of
\nclassified documents charging Minister of Transportation Haryanto
\nDhanutirto with corruption.<\/p>\n
"I believe there's a person who knows well about the whole
\nscenario," the respected political observer informed The Jakarta
\nPost yesterday.<\/p>\n
Amien said on Dec. 18 in Yogyakarta he received copies of the
\ndocuments -- reports by Inspector General for Development Kentot
\nHarseno to President Soeharto containing corruption charges
\nagainst Haryanto. However, Amien refused to divulge the identity
\nof the person who provided him with the documents.<\/p>\n
"That person could become the starting point to trace the
\nperson or persons responsible for the nationwide uproar over the
\ncase," he said. "It would be unethical to reveal the person's
\nidentity to the press."<\/p>\n
Amien, who was widely reported to be privy to inside
\ninformation concerning the case, said he would be willing to
\nprovide the information to any team established to investigate
\nthe leak.<\/p>\n
Despite the government's announcement clearing Haryanto of
\ncorruption charges, the case is by no means closed. Comments are
\nstill pouring in on it, especially in relation to the question of
\nthe person or persons responsible for the leaking of Kentot's
\nreports to the public.<\/p>\n
One of the latest comments came from the Forum for Development
\nand International Studies who demanded that the person
\nresponsible for the leak be held accountable. The forum also
\ncalled the documents slanderous, full of hatred and provocative.<\/p>\n
Such reports could be used by any party as a tool to topple
\ntheir political adversaries rather than as a means to inform
\nPresident Soeharto of irregularities, the forum's statement said.<\/p>\n
Both the forum's chairman, Fadli Zon, and Amien Rais
\ncriticized Minister\/State Secretary Moerdiono for "creating new
\nproblems" because of his flimsy statements on the issue.<\/p>\n
"The way he delivered the information invited a big question;
\nnamely, how come the person or persons responsible for the leak
\nwere not pursued," Amien said. "Flimsy information like that can
\nbecome a source of new political tensions."<\/p>\n
President Soeharto, in a statement delivered by Moerdiono,
\ncleared Haryanto of corruption charges. Moerdiono also said that
\nHaryanto was guilty of "administrative mistakes" and had
\nreimbursed state funds he used for personal trips.<\/p>\n
Amien, who, like Haryanto, is a leading member of the
\ninfluential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals
\n(ICMI), called the debacle an unprecedented political ploy.<\/p>\n
Political game<\/p>\n
"The end of last year witnessed a new political game which has
\nnever happened before, and that is the leaking of state documents
\nin order to hit at a political opponent," he said.<\/p>\n
"The intentional leaking of the so-called administrative
\nmistakes that Haryanto allegedly conducted was a new, dangerous
\nmodus operandi," he said.<\/p>\n
Mudslinging among high-level government officials, whether
\ndelivered in plain words or wrapped in "toxic, obscure language",
\ncan erode the government's authority, he said.<\/p>\n
The "political drama" which directly or indirectly involved
\nKentot, Haryanto, Moerdiono and even Vice President Try Sutrisno
\nhas been "a non-educative political spectacle", he said.<\/p>\n
Amien also said that "the moral lesson" that should be learned
\nfrom the political drama was the fact that Indonesia still
\nenforces laws and fights corruption discriminately.<\/p>\n
"The interests of corps or groups still hamper the launching
\nof the investigation needed to trace the persons who leaked the
\nclassified state documents," he said.<\/p>\n
A 1977 law on archives stipulates a maximum penalty of life
\nimprisonment for people found guilty of intentionally revealing
\nthe contents of classified documents to a third party.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Antara news agency reported that three state-
\nowned companies under the Ministry of Transportation received a
\n"clean" classification from the Development and Finance Control
\nBoard in 1994.<\/p>\n
Three other companies received qualified opinions from the
\nstate-owned audit agency. (swe\/har)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/amien-refuses-to-name-person-behind-document-leak-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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