Deputies get the ax at Attorney General's Office
Deputies get the ax at Attorney General's Office
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib is scheduled to
lead a ceremony on Wednesday marking a major reshuffle in the
Attorney General's Office, with four of five deputy attorney
generals being replaced.
One of the deputy attorney generals who will be replaced is
Antonius Sujata, the deputy attorney general for special crimes.
He led the investigation into the collusion, corruption and
nepotism allegedly committed by former president Soeharto during
his 32 years in power. Antonius will be replaced by Ramelan, the
deputy attorney general for general crimes, the spokesman for the
Attorney General's Office, Soehandoyo, said.
Soehandoyo said Ramelan's position would be filled by M.
Rahman, a former member of the attorney general's staff.
W.H. Jacob Rahim Saleh will be installed as the new deputy
attorney general for state and civil administrative affairs,
replacing Soehandjono. Syahmardan Lubis, the former head of
Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, will fill Jacob's position as the
deputy attorney general for supervision.
Antonius, who held his position for less than one year, will
become a member of the attorney general's staff.
On Dec. 9 last year, Antonius, accompanied by Ramelan and
former deputy attorney general for intelligence affairs Syamsu
Djalaludin, questioned Soeharto for the first time at the Jakarta
Prosecutor's Office.
Syamsu was replaced earlier this year for unspecified reasons
shortly after a scanned telephone conversation allegedly between
President B.J. Habibie and Ghalib was printed by a monthly
magazine and broadcast by private television and radio stations.
In the telephone conversation, Habibie and Ghalib gave the
impression that the probe into Soeharto's alleged corruption was
being taken 'casually'.
Recently, Time magazine ran a report alleging that former
president Soeharto and his children amassed a US$15 billion
fortune during his 32-year rule.
Time said some staff members at the Attorney General's Office
were not convinced the investigation into Soeharto was serious.
It quoted an official at the office as saying: "Ghalib is on a
mission to protect Soeharto."
"This (the replacements) has nothing to do with anyone's
mistakes. It's just to refresh the working situation and to
maintain innovations from the staffers," Soehandoyo said.
He dismissed speculation the replacements were linked to
recent reports run in local media on the Soeharto investigation,
complete with the transcripts of the questioning of the former
president.
There has been speculation that the transcripts were leaked
to the media by personnel in the Attorney General's Office.
Under Ghalib, the office has been the target of sharp
criticism from political figures and observers due to its
slowness in investigating Soeharto's alleged corruption. (emf)