AGO reshuffles personnel

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Attorney General's Office announced on Friday its latest reshuffle, which will move state prosecutors who used to handle high-profile cases to top posts at provincial level.

The rotation, involving 40 prosecutors currently stationed at the office and regional offices, was signed by Attorney General M.A. Rahman on Thursday and will take effect on Feb. 1.

Muchtar Arifin, the general prosecutor in a corruption case involving former president Soeharto, will head the West Nusa Tenggara Prosecutors' Office.

Muchtar is currently director of prosecutions to the deputy attorney general for special crimes. In his new position, he will also serve as the prosecutor in financial cases.

His will be replaced by Untung Udji Santoso, currently an expert member of staff at the Attorney General's Office.

Martinus Manoi, an expert in the office who was often assigned to teams investigating the Bank Bali scandal and the misuse of trillions of rupiah of bank liquidity support, was named the head of South Sulawesi Prosecutors' Office.

Prosecutor I Putu Kusa, currently director for economic and financial cases to the deputy attorney general for intelligence affairs, will be installed as head of Lampung Prosecutor's Office.

The reshuffle also affects the current spokesman and two of his predecessors.

Office spokesman Muljohardjo is promoted to the Jakarta Prosecutors' Office, replacing Basrief Arief, who is serving concurrently as deputy attorney general for intelligence affairs.

Muljohardjo, one of the two highest-ranking personnel in the reshuffle, was head of South Sulawesi Prosecutors' Office before moving to Jakarta as spokesman and head of legal extension last year. His post will be filled by expert member of staff Barman Zahir, a former spokesman.

The head of South Kalimantan Prosecutors' Office, Yushar Yahya, also a former spokesman, will make a comeback to Jakarta as the director for preprosecution to the deputy attorney general for general crimes.