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)