AG must improve performance
AG must improve performance
From Kompas
The issuance of a letter of instruction by the Attorney General's Office for the Termination of Investigation (SP3) in the Texmaco case has become a national controversy because of the pros and cons surrounding this matter.
It must still be fresh in our minds that when the former state minister of investment and state enterprises, Laksamana Sukardi, reported to the Attorney General's Office, there was an outcry made by Texmaco over the preshipment loans from BNI, BRI and Bank Exim. The loans, totaling some Rp 18 trillion, had not been used for export purposes but for the settlement of the company's debentures at their maturity dates.
At that time the Attorney General's Office right away made Sinivasan a suspect and slapped a travel ban on him without an interrogation and investigation. A probe into the Texmaco case, however, was later stopped because, according to the prosecutor in charge, there was no evidence that losses had been inflicted on the state. Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said that apart from the fact that the collateral pledged was larger in value than the loans, some of the loans had yet to mature.
The attorney general used the words "not yet" for "not" inflicting losses on the state. He has also repeatedly said that the calculation about the assets related to the debts incurred by Texmaco is the result of an audit conducted by the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP). However, the special deputy of the agency, Irwan Sofyan, has directly denied the statement made by the attorney general. It is obvious at this point that one gets the impression that the Attorney General's Office is careless and reckless in handling the Texmaco case. It seems as if Marzuki Darusman were hesitant in making a decision.
To ensure that there will be no more carelessness in the handling of other cases, it is only proper that the Attorney General's Office conducts a self-correction. It should no longer fool people by making changeable and inconsistent statements and decisions to ensure good implementation of legal supremacy. As for Laksamana Sukardi, although he is no longer a minister, he still must give proof of more serious cases involving bad debts as he promised, before any impression is given that all he did was for the sake of passing interest.
TAUFIK
Jakarta