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