Attorney General to investigate bribery scandal<\/p>\n
BANDUNG, West Java (JP): The Attorney General's Office has
\nformed a team to investigate alleged bribes given by Japanese
\ncompanies to senior Indonesian officials.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib said here on Wednesday the
\njunior attorney in charge of operation and intelligence affairs
\nwould head the team.<\/p>\n
"The move shows that the Attorney General's Office is
\nproactive in responding to any information we receive from the
\npublic. The team is now probing the (bribery) information,"
\nGhalib said after swearing in the new chief of the West Java
\nProsecutor's Office, Djoko Budihardjo.<\/p>\n
Ghalib said his office would maintain the equality of the law
\nin investigating the allegations of top-level bribery. "We will
\nquestion all parties involved in the case."<\/p>\n
Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported recently that two
\nJapanese companies, Kajima Corp. and Tekken Corp., paid bribes to
\nassociates of former president Soeharto, several ministries and
\ntax authorities. The daily said such payments were routine for
\nJapanese firms working in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The State Secretariat, the National Development and Planning
\nAgency and the Ministry of Transportation were among the bodies
\ncited by the daily as accepting the illegal money.<\/p>\n
Another media report said a Dutch telecommunications firm paid
\na bribe to a friend of the Soeharto family in 1996 in order to
\ngain a stake in Telkomsel, Indonesia's largest mobile phone
\nnetwork.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Trade Ginandjar
\nKartasasmita said in a letter to Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia
\nTakao Kawakami the Indonesian government took the reports
\nseriously and hoped for cooperation between the two countries in
\ninvestigating the bribery allegations.<\/p>\n
Separately, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office
\nSoehandoyo said Ghalib soon would ask for clarification from all
\nconcerned ministers.<\/p>\n
"The first chance will be during the next ministerial meeting
\non politics and security affairs," Soehandoyo said.<\/p>\n
When asked why Ghalib would not summon the involved ministers,
\nSoehandoyo said the Attorney General's Office was committed to
\nrespecting the principles of openness, togetherness, friendship
\nand coordination.<\/p>\n
"Such an approach will allow us to share information. A tight-
\nknit cooperation will help us cope with the matter," he said.<\/p>\n
"We learned a lot from the corruption case involving
\n(legislator) Nurdin Halid, in which the court returned a not
\nguilty verdict due to lack of evidence," Soehandoyo added,
\nreferring to a decision by the Ujungpandang District Court in
\nSouth Sulawesi to acquit Nurdin of charges that he swindled money
\nfrom a local cooperatives center.<\/p>\n
Speaking at Wednesday's inauguration ceremony, Ghalib said the
\nAttorney General's Office managed to save state funds and assets
\nworth Rp 180 trillion (US$20.7 billion) during its nationwide
\ncampaign against corruption, collusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
Ghalib did not say explain when the campaign began or when it
\nwould end. It also was unclear whether the campaign targeted
\nformer president Soeharto and his family. (43\/amd)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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