Agus, Saurip may face disciplinary charges

Agus, Saurip may face disciplinary charges

JAKARTA (JP): Controversial Army officers Lt. Gen. Agus
Wirahadikusumah and Maj. Gen. Saurip Kadi may soon face
disciplinary action, as rumors swirl that the pair will be
brought before an Officers Honorary Council.

Both men were summoned by the Army leadership on Tuesday to
explain their recent actions: Agus for being absent without leave
(AWOL) and Saurip for publishing a book about the military's
activities without the Army's permission.

They were questioned by Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen.
Endiartono Sutarto, the assistant for security affairs to the
chief of staff, Maj. Gen. ID Putu Rai, and the assistant for
personnel affairs, Maj. Gen. Suprapto.

Agus lost his post as chief of the Army Strategic Reserves
Command (Kostrad) in August in the middle of an investigation
into allegations of corruption in the command by his
predecessors.

Saurip was the assistant for territorial affairs to the Army
chief of staff until April, when he lost his post amid rumors
that he took part in a clandestine meeting to plan massive
changes in the military leadership.

Brig. Gen. FX Bachtiar, chief spokesman for the Army,
confirmed the two men answered summonses on Tuesday, but declined
to say whether an Officers Honorary Council would be called to
follow up the questioning.

He dismissed speculation the questioning of the two generals
was politically motivated, stressing that this was part of the
Army's efforts to establish discipline among officers.

An Army source, however, said an honorary council had been set
up and its lineup would be announced next week.

According to unconfirmed media reports, 46 Army generals
signed a petition threatening to resign en masse if Agus was
appointed to replace Gen. Tyasno Sudarto as Army chief of staff.

In Yogyakarta, Minister of Defense Muh. Mahfud M.D. said on
Saturday President Abdurrahman Wahid might announce the names of
several new chiefs of staff on Monday.

Declining to reveal the names, Mahfud said Agus would not be
among the new appointees.

"Who is Agus anyway? Why should anyone be afraid of him? He is
nothing," he said.

Agus has denied any wrongdoing, telling The Jakarta Post on
Friday his recent trip to the United States to attend his son's
graduation from Ohio State University was made with the knowledge
of his superiors in the Army.

The 1973 graduate of the National Military Academy admitted,
however, the documents approving his leave were not ready when he
left the country on Aug. 22.

Besides charging him with being AWOL, several Army generals
have accused him of using his visit to the United States to lobby
for the top Army post in Washington and attempting to meet with
President Abdurrahman, who was in New York to attend the UN
Millennium Summit.

Agus called the allegations slanderous. "I swear in the name
of God that I was not in the U.S. for political lobbying. You may
ask the military attache at the Indonesian Embassy in Washington,
who was with me most of the time I was there."

Agus said he also was questioned by the Army leadership about
his decision to send a company of Kostrad troops to Bengkulu
without first coordinating with military headquarters when the
province was struck by a massive earthquake in June.

Regarding this charge, Agus said he had delegated the
authority to coordinate with headquarters to his chief of staff
Maj. Gen. SN Suwisma.

Many military observers agree that Agus stepped on many
people's toes, including when he exposed the alleged Rp 189
billion corruption in a Kostrad foundation before the
investigation was completed.

He denied this charge, saying at the time he was only
responding to questions from journalists about the progress of
the investigation.

"Should I hide from the public the irregularities and
corruption that occurred in the foundation?" Agus asked.

Separately, Saurip said he had done nothing improper in
publishing the book TNI dan Masa Depan (TNI and the Future)
without the permission of Army headquarters.

He said numerous books were published by active and retired
officers without the Army's authorization.

His book, which examines the Army's alleged involvement in
several controversial events in the past, including the murders
of labor activist Marsinah and journalist Udin, is now being
examined by the Army Directorate of Law, which will determine
whether its publication violated regulations. (02/swa)