Ginandjar leaves questioning session without permission<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar
\nKartasasmita, who is being queried over a corruption case, on
\nWednesday surprised everyone by leaving the Attorney General's
\nOffice without permission.<\/p>\n
After being in the Office for around five and a half hours,
\nGinandjar came out at 3:50 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not feeling well. My left arm is sort of numb. I have to
\nsee the doctor,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Asked about his illness, he said that it was a \"common disease
\nfor someone who is almost 60 years old\".<\/p>\n
As there had been no attempt to stop Ginandjar from leaving,
\npeople panicked as he hastily got into his Volvo.<\/p>\n
He was followed by his lawyers -- O.C. Kaligis, Mohammad
\nAssegaf and Muchyar Yara -- and three military lawyers from the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) Legal Department.<\/p>\n
Head of the investigation team Barman Zahir ran out of the
\nbuilding and started banging on the roof of Ginandjar's car.<\/p>\n
\"Please, don't leave. The doctor's going to be here soon!\"
\nBarman shouted.<\/p>\n
But he just sped off.<\/p>\n
Barman and security officers immediately told guards at the
\nfront gate through walkie talkie to block the way. But, the
\nguards failed to recognize the order and let the car pass through
\nthe gate.<\/p>\n
According to Barman, Ginandjar had complained about feeling
\nill and asked permission to see his private doctor at nearby
\nPertamina Hospital.<\/p>\n
The investigation team, however, refused to let him go, saying
\nthat they were going to send the doctor to the Office.<\/p>\n
Muchyar earlier told reporters that the Office had offered its
\nown doctor to examine Ginandjar, but the latter refused.<\/p>\n
\"It's not that he doesn't trust the doctor, but he feels more
\ncomfortable with his private doctor. Besides, it's a patient's
\nright,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Later on, Muchyar said in a written statement that they had
\nasked permission to see the doctor, but they were left waiting in
\nuncertainty for hours. So, they decided to leave.<\/p>\n
Spokesman to the Attorney General's Office Muljohardjo said
\nGinandjar left while the investigation team were outside the
\nroom.<\/p>\n
\"Probably he felt that he could not stand it anymore and
\ndecided to leave,\" he told a media conference.<\/p>\n
He said that Ginandjar will be questioned again on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"He might be questioned as a suspect, not a witness as of
\nWednesday,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar was questioned over a corruption case involving
\nstate oil and gas company Pertamina and PT Ustraindo Petro Gas.<\/p>\n
He testified about his successor Ida Bagus Sudjana, former
\nPertamina president Faisal Abda'oe and PT Ustraindo director
\nPraptono H. Upojo, who have been named suspects in the corruption
\ncase, which allegedly resulted in US$24.8 million in state
\nlosses.<\/p>\n
The investigation has earlier declared that deals signed by
\nPertamina and PT Ustraindo had violated regulations on technical
\nassistance contracts as they covered oil fields that were still
\nproductive.<\/p>\n
The investigation also showed that while regulations required
\nPT Ustraindo to pay for the development of the contract areas, it
\nwas Pertamina that bore the costs of development, causing $18
\nmillion in losses to the state.<\/p>\n
The contracts with PT Ustraindo covered oil fields in Bunyu,
\nEast Kalimantan, Prabumulih and Pendopo in South Sumatra, and
\nJatibarang on the north coast of West Java.<\/p>\n
In February and March 1995, Sudjana allegedly approved
\namendments to the contracts with PT Ustraindo, resulting in the
\ngovernment receiving a smaller percentage of the oil from these
\nfields, causing $6.8 million in losses to the state.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Golkar Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung said the
\nAttorney General's Office should feel free to proceed with the
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
\"If Ginandjar needs to be interrogated, arrested or a travel
\nplan placed upon him, then please do so as we all have to comply
\nwith the law,\" Akbar told journalists on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"I believe that Ginandjar will follow the regulations
\notherwise he would not have come all the way from the United
\nStates to fulfill the summons,\" he said. (hdn\/dja)<\/p>",
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