Calls rise for Puteh arrest warrant

Calls rise for Puteh arrest warrant

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

Two prominent legal experts urged on Sunday the Corruption
Eradication Commission (KPK) to issue an arrest warrant against
Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh, who had twice ignored the
commission's summons.

The KPK declared Puteh a suspect in a corruption case for
allegedly marking up the price of a Russian-made helicopter the
Aceh administration bought in 2001, causing state losses of at
least Rp 4 billion (US$5.4 million).

Harkristuti Harkrisnowo of the University of Indonesia (UI) in
Jakarta and Achmad Ali of Hassanuddin University in Makassar,
South Sulawesi, said the commission was authorized to issue an
arrest warrant for Puteh.

"I support the commission's decision to use legal force to
bring Puteh in for questioning, and police chief (Gen. Da'i
Bachtiar) has to cooperate," he said.

The KPK threatened to summon Puteh by force after he failed on
Friday to show up for the second time.

The law states that authorities may resort to force to bring
an individual in for questioning if they have ignored a summons
three times.

"If Puteh continues to ignore the commission's summons because
of his workload in Aceh, the government can appoint a caretaker
and suspend Puteh from his post," Harkristuti said.

However, a prominent Acehnese figure said over the weekend
that it was doubtful Puteh would ever be brought to justice,
suggesting that some "powerful people" in Jakarta and Aceh were
benefiting from his corruption.

He also said that a tug-of-war over who should replace Puteh
as Aceh governor and administrator of the Aceh Civil Emergency
has delayed his suspension.

Ad interim coordinating minister for political and security
affairs Hari Sabarno said earlier the investigation into Puteh's
alleged corruption should not affect on-going integrated
operations in Aceh, where government troops are fighting the
separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

The group has been fighting for independence for the resource-
rich province since 1976. Over 10,000 people, mostly civilians,
have been killed in the prolonged conflict.

On May 19, 2003, the government deployed about 40,000 troops
to quell the separatists and placed the province under military
emergency for one year.

"The government seems to be buying time to delay suspending
Puteh, and this will only tarnish its anticorruption efforts,"
Harkristuti said.

Achmad Ali shared Harkristuti's opinion, saying "the success
of the central government in handling the Aceh problem doesn't
depend on Puteh alone."

Under Law No. 30/2002, the KPK is allowed to take
extraordinary measures against suspected corruptors, including
arresting them and recommending their suspension from an official
post.

"The sooner the KPK and the government become aware of the
issue (involved), the better for their image," Achmad, who helped
deliberate the law, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.