Abda'oe released from detention

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office has released two suspects in a corruption case allegedly involving former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar Kartasasmita, as a result of a court verdict ordering Ginandjar's release from detention.

Former president of state oil and gas company Pertamina Faisal Abda'oe and director of private oil company PT Ustraindo Petro Gas Praptono H. Tjitrohupojo were officially released after the director of special crimes investigation Sudibyo Saleh issued a release order on Monday.

"We released the suspects in compliance with the court order," Attorney General's Office spokesman Mulyohardjo said.

He was referring to the South Jakarta District Court's verdict handed down last Wednesday that ruled the detention of Ginandjar, a former three-star Air Force general, was illegal.

The judge said the corruption case had to be investigated by a joint military-police team.

Muljohardjo said the Attorney General's Office would appeal to the Supreme Court.

Abda'oe was under house arrest, while Praptono was treated at the Mitra Keluarga Hospital in East Jakarta as he claimed to be ill.

Both Abda'oe and Praptono, along with Ginandjar and his successor, Ida Bagus Sudjana, are suspects in the same corruption case related to the granting of technical assistance contract to PT Ustraindo -- a construction company partly owned by a son of former president Soeharto, Bambang Trihatmodjo, in the early 1990s.

The scandal resulted in US$24.8 million in state losses.

Ida Bagus, the successor of Ginandjar, however, was not arrested.

In an unrelated case, timber tycoon Prajogo Pangestu failed to appear earlier in the day at the Attorney General's Office for questioning.

"Pak Prajogo has been in Singapore for medical treatment for almost a week, while my client has yet to receive any summons from the prosecutors," Prajogo's lawyer Denny Kailimang told The Post. (02)