ICW's special birthday gift to Attorney General Ghalib
ICW's special birthday gift to Attorney General Ghalib
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib, a three-star
military general, got an unpleasant gift for his 53rd birthday on
Thursday from the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW).
According to the Jakarta-based independent body, Rp 1.8
billion (US$225,000) was transferred to the bank accounts of
Ghalib and his wife Andi Murniati at a national private bank in
Jakarta from different parties, including two prominent local
businessman: Prajogo Pangestu and The Nin King.
The alleged transfers in rupiah and U.S. dollars was believed
to have been carried out in 11 transactions, ICW executive Teten
Masduki told a press conference after submitting copies of the
documents to the National Military Police headquarters for
further investigation.
ICW, he said, received the documents on May 27 via a courier
service firm from an unknown party.
"(But) we've checked the (validity of the) documents and found
that they're all legitimate," Teten said but refused to show the
copies to the press.
The documents appeared to show that the transfers occurred
between Feb. 12 to May 6 of this year to the accounts of Andi M.
Ghalib with the address of Jl. SMP 222 No. 2, Ceger Raya,
Cipayung, East Jakarta.
According to Teten, the documents appeared to show that local
businessmen Prajogo transferred funds worth Rp 250 million to
Ghalib's account on April 27, and Nin King transferred money
totaling Rp 200 million four days earlier.
"The fact that the two people were investigated by Ghalib for
their suspected financial misdeeds, these transfers to the
Attorney General's account could stir public curiosity as a
possible bribery," he said.
An ICW statement cited that Prajogo was summoned for
questioning by the Attorney General Office in mid-September last
year for the alleged misuse of credit funds at the businessman's
Bank Andromeda.
Early this year, the office questioned Nin King for a Rp 581
billion bad debt of his company, Argo Manunggal Group, ICW said.
ICW therefore hoped that the Military Police, which has the
legal authority to probe misdeeds committed by active military
and police personnel, would further cross-examine the documents
on Ghalib's alleged offense.
According to Teten, the copies of the documents were handed
over earlier in the day to Col. Hendardji, director of counseling
and investigation of the National Military Police.
"After receiving the reports, Col. Hendardji told us (ICW)
that the alleged bribery may not be true. The money may be merely
a donation he said," Bambang explained.
Late Thursday, Hendardji told The Jakarta Post by phone that
his office would not carry out the investigation unless ICW would
provide witnesses and show strong evidence.
The Military Police, he said, could not even ask Bank
Indonesia, the central bank, to freeze the bank accounts of
Ghalib and his wife unless there was strong evidence on the
alleged bribe.
While Nin King could not be reached for comment, Prajogo, once
called one of the few timber barons in Indonesia, declined to
comment on the ICW report.
Prajogo remained tightlipped over the case after being
questioned by reporters after a meeting with Minister of Forestry
and Plantation Muslimin Nasution on Thursday.
Ghalib is still in Europe to trace the alleged wealth of the
Soehartos as reported by Time.
But his office spokesman in Jakarta, Soehandoyo, called ICW's
finding as a "cruel political maneuver".
"The findings of the transfers to Pak Andi Ghalib's account is
a cruel political maneuver to ruin the name of the Attorney
General as well as the corps," he said.
He estimated that the documents were issued by certain parties
which intended to reach their targets in an illegitimate way.
The Attorney General Office, Soehandoyo said, would soon
investigate the case and possibly ask for clarification from ICW.
"It's also possible for us to launch an intelligence
operation," he told Antara. (asa/gis/bsr)