Winters banned from entering RI<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government has slapped a ban on American
\nprofessor Jeffrey A. Winters from entering Indonesia for
\nallegedly humiliating Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance
\nand Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Minister of Justice Muladi
\nsaid on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"Starting from today, the American political observer is
\nbanned from entering Indonesia until there is a formal settlement
\nof the humiliation,\" he said at a ceremony commemorating the 41st
\nanniversary of the University of Diponegoro in Semarang, Central
\nJava.<\/p>\n
Muladi said that Winters had violated Article 316 of the
\nCriminal Code on humiliation and that the Indonesian government
\nwould sue him.<\/p>\n
The only problem was that Indonesia had no extradition treaty
\nwith the United States so that the Indonesian government could
\nnot make any approach on the case to the government of the United
\nStates, he said.<\/p>\n
The National Police has also launched an investigation into an
\ninsinuation by Winters that Ginandjar was involved in a
\ncorruption scandal with copper and gold mining giant PT Freeport
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Lt. Col. Saleh Saaf of the police's information service told
\nreporters on Thursday that a special team had been set up to
\ninvestigate the case, including to \"hunt down\" Winters for the
\nhumiliation of Ginandjar.<\/p>\n
Winters, a professor of political economics at Northwestern
\nUniversity in Chicago, U.S.A., said at a news conference here on
\nMonday that Ginandjar was not the right person to head the
\nnational anticorruption campaign because he was currently facing
\nallegations of colluding with PT Freeport Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Winters' statement was based on allegations that Ginandjar had
\nbrokered the share transaction between Freeport and PT Bakrie
\nBrothers during his tenure as minister of mines and energy from
\n1988 to 1993.<\/p>\n
This accusation was strongly denied on Wednesday by Ginandjar,
\nwho seemed furious and felt very \"humiliated\" by the allegations.<\/p>\n
Saleh reiterated on Thursday that Ginandjar did not
\nnecessarily have to lodge a complaint with the police over the
\naccusation, but his reaction was sufficient confirmation for the
\npolice to investigate the offense.<\/p>\n
\"As Ginandjar is a high-ranking state official, we
\nautomatically have to protect his dignity,\" Saleh said.<\/p>\n
Winters reportedly left Jakarta on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on a
\nMalaysia Airways' flight to Kuala Lumpur on his way to the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
\"Police have sought information from some witnesses and we are
\nnow in the process of collecting more evidence,\" Saleh said.<\/p>\n
When asked about other steps the police might take after
\nsecuring the banning of Winters from entering Indonesia, Saleh
\ndeclined to answer.<\/p>\n
\"If Winters reads The Jakarta Post's reports about what
\nmeasures the police would take, are afraid he will surely take
\nprecautions,\" Saleh said.<\/p>\n
However, Winters was quoted by Antara in New York as saying on
\nWednesday night that he would not retract his statements on the
\nalleged corruption scandal.<\/p>\n
\"Even though I did not directly say that Ginandjar was
\ninvolved in the corruption allegations, I will not retract my
\nstatements whatsoever,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"If I am arrested due to my statements, it will be okay. The
\narrest will even constitute a good chance for me to do thorough
\nresearch on corruption and collusion practices in the awarding of
\nthe working contract to Freeport,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He also warned that if he was really arrested, it would only
\nblow up the case internationally, thereby harming the Indonesian
\ngovernment's image abroad.<\/p>\n
\"By exaggerating the case, including banning me from entering
\nIndonesia or threatening to arrest me, the Indonesian government
\nis only destroying itself,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Winters' scheduled appearance at a major international seminar
\nin Jakarta next month has also been put in doubt in view of his
\nstatus, the organizers of the Indonesia Forum said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\"Winters was one of the first invited speakers to confirm his
\nparticipation,\" Yanto Soegiarto of the organizing committee said.<\/p>\n
Winters has been billed along with politician Amien Rais and
\nsenior Armed Forces officer Lt. Gen. Luhut Pandjaitan in the
\nsession on Political and Social Issues at the Indonesian Forum,
\nplanned for Jakarta on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20.<\/p>\n
The organizers this week said Malaysian Prime Minister
\nMahathir Muhammad, another invited speaker, had also decided not
\nto take part in view of the political situation in his country.
\n(har\/emf\/emb\/hhr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/winters-banned-from-entering-ri-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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