Attorney General vows to probe officials' conduct
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Singgih announced yesterday that a team of investigators would probe the alleged role of employees from the Jakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office in influencing witnesses' testimonies.
The employees -- including three prosecutors -- would not be given special treatment and they would be dealt with according to the existing rules, he said.
"If they are proven guilty, they must be prosecuted according to the law," Singgih told reporters after opening a discussion titled Functions and Roles of Lawyers in the Current Era of Openness, Democracy and Human Rights.
But, he said, if the investigation later exonerated the men and their arrest was deemed to be an orchestrated event, then his office would pursue the perpetrators.
National Police detectives summoned at least seven people -- including four employees of Jakarta's Provincial Prosecutor's Office -- two weeks ago following a report, dated Dec. 4, which accused the officials of preparing false testimony for the trial of suspects in the April 1994 killing of entertainment businessman Nyo Beng Seng.
The report's author, Eng San, along with three other suspects, was found guilty by North Jakarta District Court of masterminding the killing of his rival. But Eng San was later acquitted by the Jakarta High Court.
His recent report to police stated that another witness, Kikie Ariyanto, who is still at large, was one of the key witnesses in the case and identified him as the mastermind behind the murder.
The four employees of the prosecutor's office were identified as: Andhi Nirwanto, now head of the sex-related crimes unit at North Jakarta Prosecutor's Office; J. Kamaru, an assistant to the Deputy Attorney General for intelligence affairs; and staff members from the North Jakarta Prosecutor's Office -- Johny Siahaan and Afrizal.
Police have released two of the officials but Kamaru and Afrizal are expected to be charged under Article 242 of the Criminal Code for encouraging another person to make false statements in court. The violation carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.
Kamaru and Afrizal were released on bail last week following applications by relatives.
The police questioning and arrest of the suspects was criticized by various parties, including Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman.
But the move was defended by National Police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo, who said everything was carried out in accordance with the law.
Media reports suggested that incident was an act of revenge by police, after prosecutors in Yogyakarta reportedly supported the acquittal of a suspect in the murder of a journalist there.
When asked to comment on the issue, Singgih said there had been no conflict between the two institutions, rather police were the prosecutors' partners in criminal cases.
"It was the media that sparked the issue," he said.
Singgih said police and prosecutors would meet with the Supreme Court in the next few days to discuss the matter. (10/bsr)