Attorney General Lopa's moves create hope, skepticism

Attorney General Lopa's moves create hope, skepticism

JAKARTA (JP): The courageous moves of newly installed Attorney
General Baharuddin Lopa in investigating powerful people
suspected of graft has raised hope as well as skepticism about
the government's efforts to uphold the law.

Albert Hasibuan, chairman of the Movement of Concerned
Citizens on State Assets (Gempita), and lawyer Frans Hendra
Winata voiced optimism that Lopa was the right person for the
task to apprehend corruptors and called on the nation to give
full support to him.

Legal expert Harkristuti Harkrisnowo from the University of
Indonesia, however, said that it was difficult not to suspect a
political motive behind Lopa's actions.

Both Frans and Harkristuti are also on the National Law
Commission.

The Attorney General's Office is handling corruption cases
allegedly involving legislators Akbar Tandjung, Arifin Panigoro
and Nurdin Halid, and tycoons Sjamsul Nursalim, Prajogo Pangestu
and Sinivasan Marimutu.

Albert praised Lopa for being productive in his handling of
graft cases.

"Although he was just installed, within less than a month the
office has been productive in taking measures against corruption,
unlike the slow pace taken under his predecessor, Marzuki
Darusman," Albert told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Both Albert and Frans believe there is no political motive in
the investigation into the three legislators -- two of whom are
vocal opponents of President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid -- and
the three tycoons, all of whom the President once protected from
legal proceedings.

"Even if the instruction to open such cases came from Gus Dur,
it's Lopa's authority to investigate the politicians when there
is adequate evidence of their involvement in corruption," Albert
added.

Separately, Frans said he had been acquainted with Lopa for a
long time and knew him to be an honest bureaucrat, one who
intended to uphold the law regardless of who was involved.
However, he added, the timing of his appointment was off.

"Too bad he was put in the post prior to the special session
to hear the President's accountability speech, which raises
people's suspicion of the government's political moves to better
its performance," he told the Post.

Harkristuti deemed that it was difficult to determine whether
the Attorney General's Office's measures came purely from a legal
standpoint or were based on certain political interests.

"It's too much of coincidence that Akbar is Golkar chairman
while Arifin is PDI Perjuangan's top legislator. Did the reports
on alleged corruption involve only these two? Weren't there any
reports of corruption involving members of the governing party?
What about graft involving people in the judiciary and the
executive branch?" queried Harkristuti, who is also a member of
the National Law Commission.

"So it's hard not to suspect that the measures were taken in a
bid to save Gus Dur's position or to escape the special session,"
she told journalists on Friday.

The three observers, however, suggested Lopa, who is a former
director general of correctional institutions under the Ministry
of Justice and former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, should first
cleanse his new office of corrupt prosecutors as they may become
his biggest obstacle.

"I've heard that many prosecutors are afraid of Lopa's
presence because they can no longer play around. Lopa should do
some house cleaning, because he cannot work by himself," Frans
remarked.

House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung is accused of
misusing State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds and Bank Bali loans
to finance the campaign of the Golkar Party, which he chairs, for
the 1999 general election.

Legislator Arifin Panigoro, executive of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), has been accused
of misusing loans from state-owned investment company PT Bahana
Pembinaan Usaha Indonesia (BPUI) that were extended to his
company.

Businessman Nurdin Halid, a People's Consultative Assembly
member from the Golkar faction, was recently named a suspect in a
Rp 168 billion scam at Bulog.

Nurdin was questioned at the Attorney General's Office on
Monday for the third time, but Akbar and Arifin have yet to be
summoned for questioning.

The Attorney General's Office has also started to process
cases involving timber tycoon Prajogo Pangestu, who is suspected
of falsifying his company's holdings to obtain state loans, and
Gajah Tunggal Group owner Sjamsul Nursalim.

State prosecutors have also banned textile magnate Sinivasan
Marimutu from going abroad pending the reopening of a case in
which he has been implicated. (bby)