Court to hear 2nd Ginandjar suit

Court to hear 2nd Ginandjar suit

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court will open on
Wednesday the trial to hear a lawsuit filed by former minister of
mines and energy Ginandjar Kartasasmita over a second arrest
warrant issued by the Attorney General's Office.

Judge Sudharto, who will preside over the hearing, said on
Monday that it would take the court less than one week to rule on
the case.

The Attorney General's Office issued the new detention warrant
on April 18 after the same court declared that Ginandjar's
detention before April 9 was unlawful. The court said the
suspect's arrest should have been jointly made by state
prosecutors, the military prosecutor and military police.

The military prosecutor and the military police members of the
joint team have refused to sign the new warrant.

Ginandjar, the suspect in a corruption investigation which
caused US$24.8 million in losses to the state, was a military
officer in the early 1990s when the alleged scandal occurred. He
retired in 1996.

Ginandjar has been detained at the Attorney General's Office
since April 6.

Meanwhile, dozens of youths joined in the Front of Anti
Corrupt Conglomerates (Faktor) have demanded Ginandjar's release,
claiming that his detention was politically motivated.

"The detention reflects the vulnerability of the Attorney
General's Office to arbitrary measures, political pressures and
violations of the law," Faktor leader Rachmat Basuki said, as
quoted by Antara.

Faktor urged the prosecutors to focus on corruption cases
involving business heavyweights Sjamsul Nursalim, Prajogo
Pangestu and Marimutu Sinivasan. (bby)