Ismudjoko installed as acting attorney general<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice \/State Secretary Muladi
\ninstalled former deputy attorney general Ismudjoko on Friday as
\nacting attorney general, replacing Andi M. Ghalib, who stepped
\naside on Monday pending a graft investigation.<\/p>\n
\"This morning, I delivered a presidential decree which names
\nIsmudjoko as the acting attorney general,\" Muladi told an
\nofficial ceremony at the Attorney General's Office in South
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"With the issuance of this decree, the appointment of
\nCoordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Feisal
\nTanjung as the interim attorney general is no longer effective,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
On Monday, President B.J. Habibie suspended Ghalib after the
\nIndonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) accused Ghalib of accepting
\nsome Rp 13 billion (US$1.6 million) in transfers from several
\nbusinesspeople to his and his wife's bank accounts.<\/p>\n
The independent corruption watchdog said some of the money was
\nsuspected to be bribes from businessmen under investigation for
\nbanking-law violations.<\/p>\n
The government announced on the same day that Feisal would
\ntake over the post temporarily.<\/p>\n
However, the government's choice of Feisal drew sharp
\ncriticism from legal experts, who said Feisal's appointment ran
\ncontrary to the spirit of the law and the professionalism of the
\njudiciary.<\/p>\n
A number of former attorneys, who held a meeting on Tuesday,
\nalso said Feisal's appointment ran contrary to a 1991 law stating
\nthat the attorney general should be replaced by his deputy if he
\ncould not carry out his duties.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday evening, Muladi announced after a meeting with
\nHabibie that he had proposed that Ismudjoko fill the role of
\ncaretaker attorney general.<\/p>\n
Muladi said on Friday that Ismudjoko would be the acting
\nattorney general for \"an indefinite period\".<\/p>\n
\"Although Pak Ismudjoko is the acting attorney general, he has
\nthe full power of the attorney general,\" Muladi told reporters
\nafter the installment.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ismudjoko said that he would \"continue the policies
\nthat have been taken by the former attorney general\".<\/p>\n
\"I call on all ranks of the Attorney General's Office to
\ninventory the cases that have not been completed and to set a
\npriority scale of what should be completed first because we do
\nnot have much time left,\" Ismudjoko said during the installment
\nceremony.<\/p>\n
Ismudjoko however did not elaborate on whether the
\ninvestigation into the wealth of former president Soeharto
\naccumulated in his 32 years in power would be a top priority.<\/p>\n
When pressed further on whether his office could complete the
\ninvestigation of Soeharto before the General Session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly in November, Ismudjoko said: \"God
\nwilling, we would be able to complete the investigation on time.\"<\/p>\n
Ghalib had headed the inquiry into the wealth of Soeharto, but
\nwas widely accused of foot-dragging.<\/p>\n
Habibie said in December that the investigation into Soeharto
\ncould be completed before the June 7 general election.<\/p>\n
The U.S.-based Time magazine disclosed in its May 24 issue
\nthat Soeharto and his children retained a US$15 billion fortune
\nfrom wealth amassed during his 32-year rule.<\/p>\n
The magazine reported that the Soehartos' fortune includes $9
\nbillion in cash that was transferred from a bank in Switzerland
\nto another bank in Austria shortly after the former ruler was
\nforced from office in May last year.<\/p>\n
Soeharto denied the report and has filed complaints against
\nthe magazine to the police.<\/p>\n
Ghalib, an active Army lieutenant general, has been reassigned
\nto the armed forces headquarters under the military chief. He
\nalso faces a Military Police investigation over allegations of
\ntaking bribes.<\/p>\n
Ghalib has filed a complaint against executives of the
\nIndonesian Corruption Watch, while ICW executives have in turn
\nreported Ghalib to the police for insulting and threatening them
\nin public.<\/p>\n
Later on Friday, Minister of Justice Muladi denied that
\nPresident B.J. Habibie was inconsistent with his decision to
\ntemporarily replace Ghalib with Feisal Tanjung, although he
\nconceded that the hasty change was influenced by public protest.<\/p>\n
\"Basically the government view is to listen to people's
\naspirations. It is the most democratic decision,\" said Muladi
\nafter accompanying Habibie in a meeting with visiting
\nInternational Monetary Fund first deputy managing director
\nStanley Fischer at Merdeka Palace.<\/p>\n
Muladi also said the investigation into Ghalib's bank accounts
\nshould be limited to the Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI)
\nfund he kept in his private accounts.<\/p>\n
\"What is suspected is the fund for the wrestling organization,
\nso it must be the subject of the investigation,\" said Muladi.
\n(byg\/prb)<\/p>",
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