Habibie OKs Ghalib resignation bid<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie approved on Monday
\nAttorney General Andi M. Ghalib's request to stand down from his
\nposition in the Cabinet while investigations into allegations of
\ntaking bribes for business people are underway.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and
\nAdministrative Reforms Hartarto Sastrosoenarto said, upon
\nannouncing the decision, that his counterpart for political and
\nsecurity affairs Gen. (ret) Feisal Tandjung would fill Ghalib's
\npost pending the completion of the probe.<\/p>\n
Habibie signed on Monday evening a presidential decree on the
\ntransfer of duty. Ghalib, who is an active Army Lieutenant
\nGeneral, is to return to service with the Indonesian Military
\n(TNI).<\/p>\n
However, Minister of Justice Muladi will temporarily take care
\nof the attorney general's tasks because Feisal will be in South
\nAfrica for 10 days. During his official visit, Feisal will attend
\nthe induction of South African president-elect Thabo Mbeki on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
\"With this decision it is expected that the investigation will
\nfind no more hurdles. The attorney general is the highest law
\nenforcer in our country,\" Hartarto said in a joint media briefing
\nwith Muladi after meeting with Habibie and other ministers at
\nMerdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
Habibie defied the mounting public pressure on him to fire
\nGhalib on Thursday. The President instead requested an
\nindependent public accountant to conduct an audit of Ghalib's
\npersonal wealth.<\/p>\n
Hartarto said Ghalib's letter to the President was dated June
\n9, but he could not give a clear explanation of why he submitted
\nthe letter five days later.<\/p>\n
\"It was because June 9 fell on Friday,\" said Hartarto, and
\nthen burst into laughter when journalists reminded him that June
\n9 was last Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Apart from the two ministers, the President also summoned
\nFeisal, Minister of Defense and Security\/TNI Commander Gen.
\nWiranto, Minister of Information Muhammad Yunus and Minister of
\nHome Affairs Syarwan Hamid to discuss Ghalib's case on Monday.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot predict when the case will be resolved. But at least
\nit will be legally followed up,\" Wiranto said after the meeting.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, Wiranto vowed to take strict action
\nagainst Ghalib if the latter was proven guilty of fraud.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by his lawyers Hotma Sitompul and Ruhut Sitompul,
\nGhalib joined his Cabinet colleagues later. However, he had to
\nwait for about one hour before he could meet with Habibie.<\/p>\n
Ghalib's lawyers were not permitted to attend the meeting
\ndespite their strong insistence.<\/p>\n
Ghalib quickly left the Palace, braving heavy rain. \"Even
\nnature cries for Pak Ghalib's departure,\" an official joked.<\/p>\n
Unlike previous meetings, Habibie did not hug and kiss Ghalib
\nthis time. They just shook hands.<\/p>\n
\"The government highly appreciates the steps which have been
\ntaken by Pak Ghalib,\" Hartarto said.<\/p>\n
Ghalib is to stay away from his office during the
\ninvestigation launched by National Police, Military Police and
\nfor the length of the audit of Ghalib's bank accounts by a U.S.-
\nIndonesian accounting firm, Prasetyo Utomo and Arthur Anderson.<\/p>\n
\"We have completed the first step of the investigation into
\nGhalib's case by appointing the certified public accountant,\"
\nHartarto said.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists before a Cabinet meeting on
\nWednesday, Ghalib boasted he would chase Indonesian Corruption
\nWatch (ICW) executive Teten Masduki all the way to his grave. He
\nalso described Teten as an \"animal\" following his disclosure of
\nthe 14 bank accounts and four time deposits owned by Ghalib and
\nhis wife Murniati.<\/p>\n
On Thursday evening, Habibie summoned Ghalib to his residence
\nin Patra Kuningan, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Teten presented to Habibie on Thursday documents to support
\nhis allegation that Ghalib had collected at least Rp 13 billion
\n(US$1.7 million) from August to May from several sources,
\nincluding Rp 450 million from troubled tycoons The Nin King and
\nPrajogo Pangestu.<\/p>\n
Ghalib insisted that all the money was intended for the
\nIndonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI), which he chairs.<\/p>\n
Accompanied by Muladi, Ghalib visited Austria and Switzerland
\nto investigate a report that former president Soeharto had
\ntransferred a large sum of money from Switzerland to an Austrian
\nbank shortly after his resignation in May last year.<\/p>\n
Teten fulfilled his pledge to send more \"gifts\", meaning
\nevidence of power abuse, to Ghalib. ICW disclosed to journalists
\non Monday that further transfers were made to another of Ghalib's
\naccounts, apart from the account which he said was used for PGSI
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
The transfer was from Ganda, alias Abun, a Sumatra-based
\nbusinessman, who acted as director of PT Bukit Kapur Reksa, PT
\nKarya Prayona, PT Sinar Seruni Sahabat and PT Prima Aksara
\nSemesta, which are all involved in palm oil exports.<\/p>\n
Ganda made two transfers to Ghalib's bank account via a
\nTahapan account at Lippo Bank's Melawai Branch on Feb. 12 and
\nMarch 15 this year, worth Rp 150 million and Rp 125 million
\nrespectively, according to ICW.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office imposed a travel ban on Ganda in
\n1994 for suspected illegal export practices.<\/p>\n
\"However, the Attorney General's Office then halted its
\ninvestigation efforts without clear reason,\" said Teten.
\n(prb\/rms\/asa)<\/p>",
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