Ginandjar leaves questioning session without permission
JAKARTA (JP): Former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar Kartasasmita, who is being queried over a corruption case, on Wednesday surprised everyone by leaving the Attorney General's Office without permission.
After being in the Office for around five and a half hours, Ginandjar came out at 3:50 p.m.
"I'm not feeling well. My left arm is sort of numb. I have to see the doctor," he told reporters.
Asked about his illness, he said that it was a "common disease for someone who is almost 60 years old".
As there had been no attempt to stop Ginandjar from leaving, people panicked as he hastily got into his Volvo.
He was followed by his lawyers -- O.C. Kaligis, Mohammad Assegaf and Muchyar Yara -- and three military lawyers from the Indonesian Military (TNI) Legal Department.
Head of the investigation team Barman Zahir ran out of the building and started banging on the roof of Ginandjar's car.
"Please, don't leave. The doctor's going to be here soon!" Barman shouted.
But he just sped off.
Barman and security officers immediately told guards at the front gate through walkie talkie to block the way. But, the guards failed to recognize the order and let the car pass through the gate.
According to Barman, Ginandjar had complained about feeling ill and asked permission to see his private doctor at nearby Pertamina Hospital.
The investigation team, however, refused to let him go, saying that they were going to send the doctor to the Office.
Muchyar earlier told reporters that the Office had offered its own doctor to examine Ginandjar, but the latter refused.
"It's not that he doesn't trust the doctor, but he feels more comfortable with his private doctor. Besides, it's a patient's right," he said.
Later on, Muchyar said in a written statement that they had asked permission to see the doctor, but they were left waiting in uncertainty for hours. So, they decided to leave.
Spokesman to the Attorney General's Office Muljohardjo said Ginandjar left while the investigation team were outside the room.
"Probably he felt that he could not stand it anymore and decided to leave," he told a media conference.
He said that Ginandjar will be questioned again on Thursday.
"He might be questioned as a suspect, not a witness as of Wednesday," he added.
Ginandjar was questioned over a corruption case involving state oil and gas company Pertamina and PT Ustraindo Petro Gas.
He testified about his successor Ida Bagus Sudjana, former Pertamina president Faisal Abda'oe and PT Ustraindo director Praptono H. Upojo, who have been named suspects in the corruption case, which allegedly resulted in US$24.8 million in state losses.
The investigation has earlier declared that deals signed by Pertamina and PT Ustraindo had violated regulations on technical assistance contracts as they covered oil fields that were still productive.
The investigation also showed that while regulations required PT Ustraindo to pay for the development of the contract areas, it was Pertamina that bore the costs of development, causing $18 million in losses to the state.
The contracts with PT Ustraindo covered oil fields in Bunyu, East Kalimantan, Prabumulih and Pendopo in South Sumatra, and Jatibarang on the north coast of West Java.
In February and March 1995, Sudjana allegedly approved amendments to the contracts with PT Ustraindo, resulting in the government receiving a smaller percentage of the oil from these fields, causing $6.8 million in losses to the state.
Meanwhile, Golkar Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung said the Attorney General's Office should feel free to proceed with the investigation.
"If Ginandjar needs to be interrogated, arrested or a travel plan placed upon him, then please do so as we all have to comply with the law," Akbar told journalists on Wednesday.
"I believe that Ginandjar will follow the regulations otherwise he would not have come all the way from the United States to fulfill the summons," he said. (hdn/dja)