Ghalib investigation halted due to insufficient evidence

Ghalib investigation halted due to insufficient evidence

JAKARTA (JP): The military police announced on Thursday the
investigation into corruption allegations against former attorney
general Andi M. Ghalib had been ended due to insufficient
evidence.

Military police chief Maj. Gen. Djasrie Marin said at a media
conference here the military police had examined two bank
accounts belonging to Ghalib, but found no evidence of his
involvement in corruption.

"Pak Ghalib cannot be charged as a suspect because of
inadequate evidence. Therefore, the investigation has been
stopped until we can find new evidence," he said.

The military police opened an investigation into Ghalib
following a report from the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW)
alleging Rp 1.8 billion (US$259,740.25) had been transferred to
the accounts of Ghalib and his wife Andi Murniati.

The organization alleged there were 11 money transfers to the
couple's accounts at a private bank in South Jakarta between Feb.
12 and May 6. It said copies of the transfers were mailed to the
ICW office by an unidentified party.

The money was transferred by businessmen The Nin King and
Prayogo Pangestu, who were being questioned by the Attorney
General's Office for alleged banking violations.

Ghalib denied the allegation, saying the money transferred by
the two businessmen was a donation to the Indonesian Wrestling
Association, which Ghalib chairs.

The city police, which is also involved in the investigation,
named both Prayogo and The Nin King as suspects in the case.

Djasrie said it was difficult for the military police to
continue its investigation following ICW coordinator Teten
Masduki's refusal to testify.

"The ICW's report on the alleged corruption cannot be treated
as evidence because Teten declined to testify," he said.

Teten said on Thursday both the military and the government
lacked the commitment to seriously carry out the investigation.

"We have long seen that the military police is not serious in
investigating the alleged corruption.

"If The Nin King and Prayogo have been declared suspects, why
not Ghalib," he said.

He said the ICW's information on the alleged corruption was
valid and accurate, and the organization was ready to do what it
could to aid the investigation.

Teten said he refused to testify for the military police
because Ghalib had not been formally declared a suspect.

He said his organization was aware of a political conspiracy
to freeze the investigation and turn the blame on the ICW.

"The military police asked me to sign a dossier which would
have implicated me for slandering Ghalib ....

"I think the Habibie government cannot be trusted by the
people to investigate the alleged corruption of the past," he
said.

He said it would be futile to supply new evidence to the
military police because it was not serious in investigating the
case.

He also said it was not necessary to identify the party which
sent the ICW the information on Ghalib's alleged corruption. He
said the anticorruption law which was recently passed by the
House of Representatives stipulated the identities of those
offering proof of corruption should be protected.

"Of paramount importance is that the military police
investigate the alleged corruption," he said.

The coordinator of ICW's lawyers, Iskandar Sonhaji, said the
military leadership had not been serious in handling the case.

"Ghalib was never summoned because military chief Gen. Wiranto
never asked the military police to do so," he said.

Ghalib appeared before the military police once to deny the
corruption allegations.

In a related development, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen.
Togar M. Sianipar said the police investigation into The Nin King
and Prajogo was still underway.

"The investigation is still ongoing. As of today, I have not
received any requests that our police detectives drop the case."

"If the police investigators do not have evidence to support
the allegations, we can also drop the investigation," Togar said.

Togar added, however, that if the investigation was ended it
did not mean the case was closed, because the police could reopen
the investigation if new evidence was discovered.

"There is no intention to close the case, but it is possible
the investigation will be stopped due to lack of evidence," he
said.

He also said that although the two businessmen had been named
as suspects, it did not mean they had already been found guilty.
(rms/emf/yudha)