Ginandjar to enter detention house

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office on Saturday issued an arrest warrant for former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar Kartasasmita to prevent him from escaping the probe into a US$24.8 million corruption scandal.

Sudibyo Saleh, the case's chief investigator, told The Jakarta Post by phone that he read the warrant (issued by Deputy Attorney General for special crimes Bachtiar Fachri Nasution) at the Pertamina Hospital on Saturday.

"The suspect (Ginandjar) will be arrested for a 20-day period, which will take effect from the day he recovers from his illness. And the detention could be extended if needed by the prosecution," he said.

Sudibyo said Ginandjar's arrest needed no special permission from Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. as the military leadership has entrusted all matters of the investigation to the Attorney General's Office.

"Ginandjar's lawyers could oppose the arrest but they should comply with the procedures stipulated in Law No. 3/1971 on corruption," he said.

The law stipulates that the trial for a military defendant, known as a connection trial, will be held at a district court with combined judges from the military and the court. Meanwhile, the attorney general will act as a coordinating investigator.

The issuance of the arrest warrant followed an order from President Abdurrahman Wahid to the attorney general on Thursday.

Ginandjar, a retired three-star Air Force general who is now deputy chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly, is alleged to have had a role in a graft case involving state oil and gas company Pertamina and a local partner PT Ustraindo Petro Gas, causing US$24.8 million in losses to the state.

Investigators have said that Pertamina had, while Ginandjar was minister of mines and energy, paid the costs of oil development incurred by Ustraindo in four oil fields, although the contracts required the company to cover the expenses. The state lost $18 million.

The government and Pertamina later amended the production- sharing contracts with Ustraindo, resulting in a smaller government oil take, causing another $6.8 million in losses to the state.

Ginandjar, his successor I.B. Sudjana, former Pertamina president Faisal Abda'oe, and Ustraindo's president Praptono H. Upojo have been declared as suspects in the case.

Meanwhile, Muchyar Yara, a member of Ginandjar's legal defense team told the Post that they rejected their client's arrest and would file a lawsuit against it, calling the move unlawful.

"The Attorney General's Office has no authority to arrest our client because it has not secured any permission from the military leadership," he said.

Separately, TNI spokesman Rear Marshal Graito Usodo said the military headquarters had no objections to the investigation as long as it was held in accordance with the law.

"TNI expects this case will not be manipulated as a political commodity," he said, as quoted by Antara.

He asked the Attorney General's Office to coordinate with the military prosecutors in conducting the investigation, citing that the case should be tried jointly. (rms)