Attorney General seeks clarification from Ghalib<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman will question
\nhis predecessor Andi Muhammad Ghalib over his statements that two
\ntop officials had prevented the office's efforts in the
\nprosecution of former president Soeharto, an activist said on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Ghalib will be summoned early next week to clarify his charge
\non former president B.J Habibie and former military
\nchief\/minister of defense and security Gen. (ret) Wiranto as
\nstated in his biography, economist Faisal Basri from the Movement
\nof Concerned Citizens on State Assets (Gempita) told reporters
\nafter an hour-long meeting with Marzuki at the Attorney General's
\nOffice.<\/p>\n
\"The attorney general will confirm this matter with Ghalib
\nlater next week to clarify whether his statement embraces the
\ntruth since there has yet to be a denial from both Wiranto and
\nHabibie.<\/p>\n
\"If Ghalib fails to give acceptable clarifications, then we
\nwill assume that the book is not credible and only telling lies,\"
\nFaisal said.<\/p>\n
Ghalib's biography, Menepis Badai, Menegakkan Supremasi Hukum
\n(Warding Off the Storm, Upholding the Supreme Law), which was
\nlaunched on Jan. 16, cited on page 342 that the prosecutors had
\nobtained enough evidence to name Soeharto as a suspect for
\ncorruption in several foundations and the national automobile
\nproject.<\/p>\n
The retired lieutenant general revealed that he had initially
\nbeen supported by Habibie to proceed with the investigation.
\nHowever, the book said, Habibie changed his mind after being
\nadvised by Wiranto who argued that it would taint Soeharto's
\nimage.<\/p>\n
Habibie then decided to \"freeze the case on Soeharto whether
\nhe won the election or not\".<\/p>\n
Gempita chairman Albert Hasibuan said that this revelation
\nshows that there was a conspiracy to obstruct justice from the
\ngovernment and that Habibie and Wiranto should also be questioned
\nover the matter.<\/p>\n
\"If the prosecutors then found that Habibie and Wiranto had
\nviolated the public's aspirations as imposed in the decree, they
\nshould be prosecuted and brought to stand trial,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki reopened Soeharto's case on November 1999 after the
\nprobe was halted by Ghalib, who left the post following a
\ncontroversial report that he received bribes from some
\nbusinessmen as a large amount of money belonging to a wrestling
\nassociation he chaired was found on his personal account.<\/p>\n
Albert also urged Marzuki to add charges to Soeharto over
\ncorruptive practices in the national automobile project.<\/p>\n
Soeharto is charged with stealing US$571 million from the
\nstate by funneling money from his seven tax-free charitable
\nfoundations into businesses belonging to his children and
\ncronies. The case is now under review by the Supreme Court. (bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/attorney-general-seeks-clarification-from-ghalib-1447893297",
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