AGO recruits regional prosecutors

AGO recruits regional prosecutors

JAKARTA: The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has recruited
prosecutors from the regions to help its special crimes unit
investigate major banking cases, such as the alleged lending scam
at Bank Mandiri and the misuse of Bank Indonesia Liquidity
Support (BLBI) funds.

AGO spokesman R.J. Soehandojo said on Wednesday that Hendarman
Supandji, deputy attorney for special crimes, had requested 15
additional prosecutors, but Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh
approved only seven.

"The seven were chosen from among prosecutors who are
experienced enough in investigating banking cases and have clean
track records," Soehandojo said.

Hendarman has often said his division was short of
investigators to look into graft cases.

Six of the new recruits have started on their first
assignment, the BLBI cases. Hendarman has set a December deadline
for the completion of the BLBI investigation. -- JP