ICW urges Habibie to fire Andi M. Ghalib

ICW urges Habibie to fire Andi M. Ghalib

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) on Tuesday
strongly recommended that President B.J. Habibie dismiss Attorney
General Andi M. Ghalib from his post for allegedly receiving Rp
1.8 billion in his bank accounts from several parties.

According to the independent body, Ghalib's alleged misdeed
has tarnished the image of the Attorney General's Office as a
state institution which has a duty to enforce laws here.

"The dismissal is required to restore the authority of the
Attorney General's Office," Teten Masduki, coordinator of ICW's
executive body, told a news conference at the Foundation of the
Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) in Central Jakarta.

According to Teten, Ghalib should be dismissed as soon as
possible to help speed up an investigation of the case.

"We're sure that the investigation and trial over the case
will be obstructed by his current official status if he's not
dismissed immediately," he said.

There are strong grounds to fire Ghalib, Teten added, such as
the money transferred to his private account and the huge amount
of his savings, which reached some Rp 13 billion as of February
this year.

But the amount fell to about Rp 9 billion on June 1, he added.

"The amount of the savings is not proportional compare to his
monthly salary of about Rp 7.5 million," he said.

Ghalib, a three-star general, has been in his post for almost
a year.

The attorney general himself has admitted to receiving money
transfers totaling Rp 450 million from tycoons The Nin King and
Prajogo Pangestu at a time when the two businessmen were being
questioned by Ghalib's office for suspected financial misdeeds.

But he defended that the money was donations allocated for the
Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI), which he chairs.

Ghalib, however, has not explained why the money was
transferred to his private account.

ICW disclosed the controversial money transfers last Thursday,
saying that Rp 1,843,700,000 had been transferred to the bank
accounts of Ghalib and his wife Andi Murniati at Bank Lippo's
Melawai branch in South Jakarta.

The remittances were reportedly made in 11 transactions from
Feb. 12 to May. 6, ICW said.

According to Tempo weekly in its latest edition, Rp 418.7
million was transferred to Ghalib's accounts by PGSI deputy
treasurer Husain Djojonegoro, who is also president of
International Chemical Industries Co. Ltd. (InterCallin), the
producer of ABC batteries, on three separate occasions.

The latter was said to have received the money from PT ASPP,
the producer of Krating Daeng health drink, his own company
(InterCallin) and suppliers of his product.

"It's extremely strange. How could a treasurer of an
association transfer money to the chairman, while it is his duty
to keep the organization's money?" said Bambang Widjojanto,
member of ICW ethics board.

Other "wrestling donors" were identified as Ganda, director of
PT Tri Ekasapta, who transferred Rp 275 million on two occasions,
Juliana Lusianto (Rp 250 million) and PT Inti DP (Rp 100
million).

Two other donors, who transferred Rp 250 million and Rp 100
million to Ghalib's account respectively, are still unknown.

Tempo quoted a senior official at Ghalib's office as saying
that the attorney general kept several other "official funds",
including those used for the construction of a mosque at the
office complex, in his private account.

The source said Ghalib's wife was no different. Andi, who
chaired the Dharma Wanita women's organization at her husband's
office, also kept funds allocated for the organization's
activities in her private account, according to the source.

"It's absolutely a violation. Official affairs have been mixed
up with private business," he said.

According to ICW, on April 1 Ghalib transferred Rp 495 million
to a bank account in the name of Hugeng Sugiono, the owner of
Pulau Bali jewelry store in Cikini market in Central Jakarta.

"We checked directly with the shop owner, who said that Ghalib
used the money to pay for gold," Teten said.

At that time, he said, gold was selling at Rp 70,000 per gram
here, meaning that the transaction was for some seven kilograms
of gold.

In the news conference, Bambang criticized the military police
for being slow to follow up ICW's reports, which they handed over
last Thursday.

"It's apparent the old spirit of the corps still exists," he
said, referring to the senior-junior hierarchy in the military.

"We therefore plan to visit President Habibie this week to
push further for an investigation into the case," he said.

Separately, Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Sabirin said on
Tuesday that his office would soon investigate the alleged
breaching of the banking secrecy law in regard to Ghalib's
accounts at Bank Lippo.

He said any of the bank's employees or management found
responsible for leaking details of Ghalib's account would be
penalized.

In a related development, chairman of National Sports Council
(KONI) Wismoyo Arismunandar urged Ghalib not to resign from PGSI.

"National sports will face a setback if government officials,
public figures and reputable individuals retreat from the
national sports community," Wismoyo was quoted by Enny Hardjanto,
KONI's spokeswoman, as saying.

Ghalib said on Monday he would resign as PGSI chairman.

PGSI's executive chairman Endro Sumarjo claimed that PGSI had
used some Rp 57 million of PGSI's Rp 1.5 billion kept in an
account in Ghalib's name.

Unlike in many other countries, most of the country's sports
bodies are led by active as well as retired high-ranking military
and police officers. (asa/rei/ivy/bsr)