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)