Many doubt Ghalib's case will be solved<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Legal experts aired doubt on Tuesday that the
\ngovernment would dare take legal action against Andi M. Ghalib,
\nwho stepped aside as attorney general during a graft
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
\"To thoroughly investigate Ghalib's case would be like a
\ndomino theory,\" human rights lawyer Frans Hendra Winarta told a
\ndiscussion on corruption organized by the independent Indonesian
\nCorruption Watch (ICW).<\/p>\n
He said that \"the fall of Ghalib would precipitate the fall of
\nother government officials\".<\/p>\n
\"There has been an impression that the government is
\nprotecting Ghalib, instead of taking clear legal measures against
\nhim,\" Frans said in apparent reference to the government's
\nfailure to name Ghalib, an active lieutenant general, a suspect
\nin the investigation.<\/p>\n
Last month, President B.J. Habibie accepted Ghalib's
\nresignation after ICW executives alleged he had some Rp 13
\nbillion (US$1.6 million) in his bank accounts and that some of
\nthe money was suspected to have been bribes from businessmen
\nunder investigation by the Attorney General's Office for banking
\nlaw violations.<\/p>\n
It was the first time in decades that a community group forced
\na Cabinet member from office.<\/p>\n
The government also said Ghalib's bank accounts would be
\naudited by an independent accounting firm. However, legal experts
\nsaid that until Ghalib was officially named a suspect, auditors
\nwould not be able to gain access to the accounts.<\/p>\n
\"It is such a lawless situation here that the official who is
\nallegedly involved in corruption can sit back while a person who
\ncame forward with the corruption allegations is the one who has
\nbeen harassed,\" Frans added.<\/p>\n
Under former president Soeharto, Indonesia gained a reputation
\nas one of the most corrupt countries, with bribes and payoffs a
\nregular fixture of living and doing business in the country.<\/p>\n
\"Corruption is rampant here, particularly among law enforcers
\nas there has been no sufficient punishment which would make them
\nthink twice before doing it,\" Frans said.<\/p>\n
Proreform leaders have said that Ghalib would escape any legal
\nconsequences as long as the Habibie administration remained in
\npower.<\/p>\n
\"It would be difficult to eradicate corruption if all the
\nranks of the company, from the directors to the sweepers, were
\ninvolved in it,\" said Loebby Loqman, a law professor at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, another speaker.<\/p>\n
Loebby said Ghalib's case should be settled in a civil court
\nrather than a military tribunal, as the suspected act of
\ncorruption affected the interests of the public at large more
\nthan it did the military.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, lawyer of Time magazine Todung Mulya Lubis is due
\nto leave for New York on Wednesday to discuss with the magazine's
\nU.S. lawyers legal preparations following a lawsuit filed against
\nit by Soeharto earlier this month, Antara reported on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The weekly alleged in its May 24 issue that Soeharto and his
\nchildren amassed a US$15 billion fortune during his 32-year rule.<\/p>\n
It claimed the Soehartos' fortune included $9 billion in cash
\nthat was transferred from a bank in Switzerland to another bank
\nin Austria shortly after the former ruler was forced from office
\nin May last year.(byg)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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