Ginandjar must appear for questioning: AG<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman insisted on
\nFriday that former top official Ginandjar Kartasasmita, a
\nvisiting scholar at Harvard University in the U.S., should come
\nto his office to be questioned over several graft cases.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said he received on Thursday a letter sent by
\nGinandjar's lawyer, Muchyar Yara, stating that his client could
\nnot leave his work at the university but was willing to give
\nwritten testimonies.<\/p>\n
\"We're looking for a solution over this matter. He's allowed
\nto give written testimonies but we still want his presence here
\nas he once promised,\" he told journalists at his office.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said that before Ginandjar left the country last year,
\nthe former coordinating minister for the economy, finance and
\nindustry, who is also the deputy speaker of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly, committed himself to return home at
\nanytime to fulfill the state prosecutors' summonses.<\/p>\n
\"We understand that Ginandjar has been kept busy with his
\nactivities but his latest words are not the same as those he
\nuttered earlier. Hopefully Ginandjar can be present for the
\ninvestigation,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar, who held several ministerial posts during the
\nadministration of former president Soeharto, served as the mines
\nand energy minister between 1988-1993. The era spanning
\nSoeharto's term of office witnessed a number of alleged
\ncorruption cases now being handled by prosecutors.<\/p>\n
Among the cases were ones involving Soeharto's children, Sigit
\nHardjojudanto and Siti Hardijanti Hastuti \"Tutut\" Rukmana. The
\nlatter is a suspect in the marking up of a government oil
\ncontract.<\/p>\n
Ginandjar himself was believed to have been involved in some
\nfraudulent contracts for the development of the Balongan refinery
\nin Indramayu, West Java; the selection of Paiton Energy for the
\npower purchase contract in East Java; and a contract agreement
\nwith U.S.-based oil company Arco.<\/p>\n
In July last year, Ginandjar had taken the initiative to visit
\nthe Attorney General's Office to counter the allegations.<\/p>\n
He left for the U.S. in August and is scheduled to finish the
\nprogram next June.<\/p>\n
The controversy over Ginandjar's role erupted after the
\nresignation of Soeharto in the middle of 1998.<\/p>\n
Soeharto<\/p>\n
In a separate development, state prosecutors and management of
\nstate-run Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital agreed to start observing
\nmedical records of the ailing Soeharto, a defendant in a US$571
\nmillion graft case, on Monday.<\/p>\n
Antasari Azhar, head of the South Jakarta Prosecutors' Office,
\nsaid on Friday that the data examination is aimed at assessing
\nSoeharto's up-to-date medical condition.<\/p>\n
\"It's up to the team of doctors, to be officially announced on
\nMonday, to decide whether it is necessary to examine Soeharto
\nafter observing the data,\" he told journalists after a meeting
\nwith the doctors at the Jakarta Prosecutors' Office.<\/p>\n
Head of the team of doctors, Ichramsjah A. Rachman, said his
\nteam, which has yet to be fully formed, will be a \"complete team\"
\nand includes, among others, a neurologist, a surgeon, a heart
\nspecialist, and a laboratory analyst.<\/p>\n
Muchtar Arifin, chief prosecutor of the case, said that the
\noffice will coordinate with Soeharto's family regarding medical
\ntreatment.<\/p>\n
In an effort to improve the performance of the prosecutors'
\nintelligence work, Marzuki had decided to replace deputy attorney
\nLt. Gen. (ret) Yusuf Kartanegara with military prosecutor Maj.
\nGen. (ret) Chalid Karim Leo. The ceremony will be held on Monday.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said that although Yusuf was once an adjutant to
\nSoeharto, the latter's work wouldn't be a hindrance to his office
\ninvestigation on the cases involving Soeharto's children and
\nfamily.<\/p>\n
Asked to comment on the statement made by presidential
\nspokesman Wimar Witoelar calling for his resignation if he failed
\nto probe several big corruption cases within a month, Marzuki
\nshrugged off the possibility. He believed the statement did not
\nreflect the views of President Abdurrahman Wahid. (bby)<\/p>",
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