Attorney General will not let Ginandjar go
Attorney General will not let Ginandjar go
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office refused on
Wednesday to release former minister of mines and energy
Ginandjar Kartasasmita, saying that the court ruling on the
suspect's investigation and detention did not order his release.
The Office's spokesman, Muljohardjo, said although the South
Jakarta District Court had determined that all legal measures
taken against Ginandjar prior to April 9 were unlawful, it said
nothing about the suspect's arrest status.
"We cannot interpret the judges' decision. We can only comply
with what was written in the decision. We cannot release
Ginandjar just because other people think that way.
"By law, when a court states whether an investigation and
detention is unlawful, it should also decide whether the suspect
should be released," Muljohardjo told journalists.
On Monday, the court ruled that the investigation and
detention carried out by the Attorney General's Office before
April 9 were unlawful because a joint investigation team
including military prosecutors and military police had not been
established to investigate the suspect, who is a retired military
officer.
On Wednesday afternoon, eight of the joint investigating
team's nine members visited Ginandjar in his cell.
From outside, journalists could clearly hear Ginandjar and his
lawyer, Muchyar Yara, arguing with the team over his demand for
release.
"I've been here for 13 days now, although it's never been
clear what I have done wrong," Ginandjar said.
The team, however, refused to release him.
After leaving the cell, the team's leader, Barman Zahir, told
reporters they visited Ginandjar to introduce themselves and see
how he was doing.
He said that the team did not feel that it was necessary to
issue a new warrant to arrest and detain Ginandjar.
"Our arrest and investigation after April 9 is lawful. We have
the right to detain him," Barman said.
Ginandjar has been accused of abuse of power while serving as
the minister of mines and energy in the early to mid-1990s. His
alleged involvement in several government contracts between 1992
and 1995 caused some US$24.8 million in losses to the state.
Ginandjar, a Golkar Party legislator and current deputy
speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, was an active Air
Force vice marshall during the time in question, retiring in
1996.
The Attorney General's Office issued a detention warrant on
March 31, however execution of the warrant was thwarted by
Ginandjar's hospitalization. His 20-day detention period
commenced on April 6 after being treated at the state-run
Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta.
Following his confinement, Ginandjar's lawyers filed a
complaint with the court.
Due to the prosecutors' refusal to free Ginandjar following
the court ruling, several people, including Muchyar Yara, have
insisted on staying in the cell. Although the authorities have
managed to remove several people, as of Wednesday evening a small
group still remained with Ginandjar.
A dozen representatives from the youth organization Laskar
Merah Putih, including its chairman Edi Hartawan, were also seen
outside the detention cell waiting for Ginandjar's release. (bby)