Ghalib's deputy proposed to caretaker role

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Attorney General Ismudjoko has been proposed to fill the caretaker role of attorney general, Minister of Justice Muladi said on Wednesday.

After a meeting with Habibie at Bina Graha presidential office in the evening, Muladi said he had summoned Ismudjoko to his office and proposed he take over as caretaker attorney general.

"Basically, there will be a change at the Attorney General's Office," Muladi said, refusing to elaborate.

Originally, President B.J. Habibie said Feisal Tanjung, coordinating minister for political and security affairs and a retired Army general, would take over as attorney general after Andi M. Ghalib temporarily stepped down pending an investigation into bribery allegations which had been leveled against him.

Habibie's choice of Feisal to fill the post of attorney general prompted sharp criticism, particularly from lawyers who said Feisal's appointment ran contrary to the spirit of the law and the professionalism of the judiciary.

Criticism of the appointment came from other quarters as well. Student groups said Feisal was "the remnant of the Soeharto regime" and would not dare take action against the former ruler.

"As long as Habibie is still in place, Soeharto will continue to be protected," noted sociopolitical observer Wimar Witoelar said on Tuesday.

Minister of Justice Muladi was quoted by Antara as saying earlier on Wednesday that usually when a Cabinet minister becomes inactive, the concerned coordinating minister temporarily fills the post. However, he said the situation was different with the attorney general.

"If the attorney general is inactive, then the post should be held by a professional from the Attorney General's Office itself," Muladi, who is currently filling in as the caretaker attorney general, was quoted as saying at the Attorney General's Office. Muladi went to the office on Wednesday afternoon to brief the deputy attorney generals.

"Feisal Tanjung and I have the task of finding a professional who is an appropriate caretaker," Muladi said.

Habibie suspended Ghalib after the independent Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) alleged Ghalib had some Rp 13 billion (US$1.7 million) in Lippo Bank's branch on Jl. Melawai, South Jakarta. ICW also alleged some of the money was deposited by businessmen The Nin King and Prajogo Pangestu, who were being investigated by the attorney general for violating banking laws.

Ghalib was also heading the inquiry into the wealth former president Soeharto allegedly accumulated during his 32 years in power, but he had been widely accused of failing to vigorously pursue the case.

Ghalib, a lieutenant general in the Army, has returned to his military duties since being suspended. He faces an investigation by the military police over the bribery allegations.

Ghalib filed a complaint with the police against executives of the ICW, while ICW executives filed a police report after Ghalib insulted and threatened them in public.

Sixteen lawyers from the ICW on Wednesday went to military police headquarters to urge them to act on the ICW report detailing the alleged bribery of Ghalib. The report was given to the military police two weeks ago.

One of the lawyers, Uli Manurung, said after the meeting that the police had been quick to act on Ghalib's complaint against ICW executives, with several people being questioned since the complaint was lodged last week.

Meanwhile, the deputy chairman of the Lippo Group, James Riady, denied on Wednesday his bank had leaked the details of Ghalib's bank accounts to the ICW.(byg/gis/jun/prb)