AGO appeals Ginandjar ruling
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the South Jakarta District Court's ruling that the arrest of former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar Kartasamita was unlawful.
Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Mulyohardjo told reporters on Tuesday that the appeal was filed through the district court on Monday.
"The detention of Ginandjar was connected with the investigation being conducted by us. If the court ruled the detention unlawful, how about the investigation?" Mulyohardjo asked.
Ginandjar, along with the former president of state oil and gas company Pertamina, Faisal Abda'oe, former director of private oil company PT Ustraindo Petro Gas, Praptono H. Tjitrohupojo, and Ginandjar's successor, Ida Bagus Sudjana, have been named as suspects in a corruption case. They were accused of playing a role in the awarding of an allegedly unlawful 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 crime allegedly inflicted losses of US$24.8 million on the state.
According to the district court judge, the corruption case had to be investigated by a joint military-police team.
"The judge was referring to Law No. 31/1997 on Military Tribunals, while Ginandjar is accused of violating Anticorruption Law No. 3/1971. Even though he is a retired general, this doesn't mean that military law is automatically applicable to him," Mulyohardjo asserted.
He said the court had dealt with substantial matters which were beyond its jurisdiction. The hearing should only have dealt with procedural matters, such as the arrest and detention process.
In a separate case, Mulyohardjo said his office planned to question timber tycoon Prajogo Pangestu on Friday over alleged corruption perpetrated by him as the owner of PT Musi Hutan Lestari in the 1990s. Mulyohardjo, however, declined to reveal whether Prajogo would be questioned as a suspect.
"We earnestly hope that he (Prajogo) will appear at our office," he said, adding that a third summons had already been issued in the case. (02)