Golkar gets involved in ex-minister's legal case

Golkar gets involved in ex-minister's legal case

JAKARTA (JP): The Golkar Party has formally joined the legal
battle involving former minister of mines and energy Ginandjar
Kartasasmita, who is accused of corruption, assigning a legal
team to help defend the suspect.

Ginandjar's lawyer Muchyar Yara announced on Tuesday that
Ginandjar's legal team had been strengthened by lawyers from the
Golkar Party.

"In a meeting on Monday night, Akbar Tandjung, as the party
chairman, decided to form a team of advocates to support
Ginandjar," he said during a media conference at Pertamina
Hospital.

"As one of the (Golkar) party's deputy chairmen and a deputy
speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, Ginandjar has the
right to be defended," Muchyar said.

Lawrence T.P. Siburian from Golkar's Legal Information and
Service Institution said the legal support for Ginandjar was
aimed at upholding the law.

Lawrence also said the suspect's legal team would be bolstered
by members of at least four other political parties' legal aid
institutions. He said the parties were the United Development
Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the Crescent
Star Party (PBB).

The Attorney General's Office named Ginandjar a suspect last
week in a graft case involving state-owned oil and gas company
Pertamina and oil company PT Ustraindo Petro Gas. The alleged
graft reportedly caused the state US$24.8 million in losses.

The Attorney General's Office issued an arrest warrant for
Ginandjar on Saturday, but the suspect has not yet been detained
because he is ill.

Critics have accused the government of using the Attorney
General's Office as a political tool to deliver a blow to Golkar
by prosecuting high-ranking party members who served in former
president Soeharto's administration.

Ginandjar's lawyers filed a lawsuit against the Attorney
General's Office on Tuesday, accusing the office of illegally
investigating and issuing an arrest warrant for their client.

The suit was filed with the South Jakarta State Court at 9:30
a.m. by one of Ginandjar's lawyers, O.C. Kaligis.

In the suit, the lawyers said the Attorney General's Office
did not have the right to investigate Ginandjar because he was a
retired Air Force vice marshal. As a retired military officer,
they said Ginandjar must be investigated by the military police
or a joint team of military personnel and civilians.

Because the investigation is illegal, so is the arrest warrant
issued for their client, the lawyers argued.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Muljohardjo said on
Tuesday filing such a lawsuit was a routine maneuver, and
Ginandjar was acting within his rights in making this move.

"We are ready to face the suit. It is a matter of a difference
of perception in how to implement the law," he said.

He said his office was investigating Ginandjar based on Law
No. 3/1971 on combating corruption, particularly articles 25 and
26 on bringing active or retired military personnel to court.

Article 25 stipulates corruption cases involving military
personnel and civilians are to be tried by a civilian court.
Article 26 states the attorney general leads the investigation of
such cases.

"Ginandjar was indeed a military officer when the case
occurred. But he was also a minister, and the case is purely a
civilian matter. Therefore, he is subject to a civilian court,"
Muljohardjo said.

However, he said that whether Ginandjar should be tried by a
civilian or military court was not the main issue at this point.
"The important thing is whether or not Ginandjar is fit to be
investigated."

Muljohardjo said Ginandjar underwent more medical treatment on
Tuesday after complaining about his throat, stomach and liver.

According to Muljohardjo, the Attorney General's Office
believes the doctors at Pertamina Hospital, where Ginandjar has
been receiving treatment, are acting appropriately. "We have no
suspicion at all that they (doctors) are trying to delay the
legal process."

Ginandjar has been treated at the hospital since Thursday, but
doctors have refused to discuss his condition because of patient
confidentiality rules. (hdn)