Ex-attorneys urge legal action against Ghalib

Ex-attorneys urge legal action against Ghalib

JAKARTA (JP): Former attorneys on Thursday called for tougher
measures to be taken against Andi M. Ghalib, who stepped aside on
Monday as attorney general for the duration of a graft probe,
expressing concern over the tarnished image of the country's
highest law-enforcement agency.

Soegih Arto, who served as attorney general in the mid 1960s,
and five other former attorneys -- M. Salim, Ridwan Sani, M.H.
Silaban, Andi Hamzah and Hadibroto -- told a news conference at
the Attorney General's Office that the corruption allegations
leveled against Ghalib by the independent Indonesian Corruption
Watch (ICW) must be settled fully through "the due process of
law".

"As a top law-enforcement agency, the Attorney General's
Office must be run by clean and highly competent people," Soegih
told reporters after a meeting with Deputy Attorney General
Ismudjoko.

The former attorneys added to the chorus of sharp criticism
against President B.J. Habibie's decision early this week to
assign the coordinating minister for political and security
affairs, Feisal Tanjung, to temporarily take over Ghalib's
duties.

"The law on public prosecution stipulates that if the attorney
general is unable to execute his duties, the deputy attorney
general shall take over until the appointment of a new attorney
general," Soegih said.

Student leaders, legal experts and numerous civic groups had
earlier cried foul on the President's decision. These criticisms
appeared to have prompted the government to change its stance on
Wednesday.

Minister of Justice/State Secretary Muladi announced after a
meeting with Habibie on Wednesday evening that he had proposed
that Deputy Attorney General Ismudjoko take on the role of
attorney general in a caretaker capacity.

Muladi said a presidential decree on the appointment was
expected in one or two days.

The former public attorneys said that Ghalib's case could not
be resolved through what the government called a "clarification".

They were referring to the government's announcement on Monday
that Ghalib's bank accounts would be audited by independent
accounting firm Arthur Anderson Co. and Prasetio Utomo Consult.

Legal and banking experts have said that the move is useless
as Ghalib has not been named a suspect for corruption.

ICW revealed early this month details of bank transactions
showing that Ghalib and his wife had accepted over the last few
months the equivalent of US$1.6 million from businesspeople under
investigation by his office for banking violations.

Ghalib however said the transfers were for the Indonesian
Wrestling Association (PGSI), which he chaired, but lawyers and
the ICW have pointed out the transfers were made to his personal
account.

In a related development, the Association of Indonesian
Accountants (IAI) urged the government on Thursday to clarify the
objective of an audit of Ghalib's bank accounts.

"The audit must be aimed at answering the question of whether
Ghalib has been really taking bribes or not ... otherwise it will
be only a waste of time, money and energy," IAI chairman Zaenal
Soedjais said in a press statement.

Zaenal also said that access to Ghalib's bank accounts would
only be given by the central bank governor if police name Ghalib
a suspect in their investigations.

Zaenal said that the investigation team should include
experienced fraud auditors with the necessary skills to lead an
audit of fraud.

He added that only the State Comptroller Agency (BPKP) had
developed a fraud auditing technique in the country.

Later on Thursday evening, Bank Indonesia Deputy Governor
Subarjo Joyosumarto dismissed rumors that details of Ghalib's
accounts in Bank Lippo were leaked by officials of the central
bank.

However, he admitted that two Bank Indonesia officials were
assigned to the bank in May to verify the data of deposits in
banks liquidated in November 1997 that were transferred to Bank
Lippo.(byg/emf/rei)