AGO appeals Ginandjar ruling
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)