Ismudjoko installed as acting attorney general
Ismudjoko installed as acting attorney general
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice /State Secretary Muladi
installed former deputy attorney general Ismudjoko on Friday as
acting attorney general, replacing Andi M. Ghalib, who stepped
aside on Monday pending a graft investigation.
"This morning, I delivered a presidential decree which names
Ismudjoko as the acting attorney general," Muladi told an
official ceremony at the Attorney General's Office in South
Jakarta.
"With the issuance of this decree, the appointment of
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Feisal
Tanjung as the interim attorney general is no longer effective,"
he added.
On Monday, President B.J. Habibie suspended Ghalib after the
Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) accused Ghalib of accepting
some Rp 13 billion (US$1.6 million) in transfers from several
businesspeople to his and his wife's bank accounts.
The independent corruption watchdog said some of the money was
suspected to be bribes from businessmen under investigation for
banking-law violations.
The government announced on the same day that Feisal would
take over the post temporarily.
However, the government's choice of Feisal drew sharp
criticism from legal experts, who said Feisal's appointment ran
contrary to the spirit of the law and the professionalism of the
judiciary.
A number of former attorneys, who held a meeting on Tuesday,
also said Feisal's appointment ran contrary to a 1991 law stating
that the attorney general should be replaced by his deputy if he
could not carry out his duties.
On Wednesday evening, Muladi announced after a meeting with
Habibie that he had proposed that Ismudjoko fill the role of
caretaker attorney general.
Muladi said on Friday that Ismudjoko would be the acting
attorney general for "an indefinite period".
"Although Pak Ismudjoko is the acting attorney general, he has
the full power of the attorney general," Muladi told reporters
after the installment.
Meanwhile, Ismudjoko said that he would "continue the policies
that have been taken by the former attorney general".
"I call on all ranks of the Attorney General's Office to
inventory the cases that have not been completed and to set a
priority scale of what should be completed first because we do
not have much time left," Ismudjoko said during the installment
ceremony.
Ismudjoko however did not elaborate on whether the
investigation into the wealth of former president Soeharto
accumulated in his 32 years in power would be a top priority.
When pressed further on whether his office could complete the
investigation of Soeharto before the General Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly in November, Ismudjoko said: "God
willing, we would be able to complete the investigation on time."
Ghalib had headed the inquiry into the wealth of Soeharto, but
was widely accused of foot-dragging.
Habibie said in December that the investigation into Soeharto
could be completed before the June 7 general election.
The U.S.-based Time magazine disclosed in its May 24 issue
that Soeharto and his children retained a US$15 billion fortune
from wealth amassed during his 32-year rule.
The magazine reported that the Soehartos' fortune includes $9
billion in cash that was transferred from a bank in Switzerland
to another bank in Austria shortly after the former ruler was
forced from office in May last year.
Soeharto denied the report and has filed complaints against
the magazine to the police.
Ghalib, an active Army lieutenant general, has been reassigned
to the armed forces headquarters under the military chief. He
also faces a Military Police investigation over allegations of
taking bribes.
Ghalib has filed a complaint against executives of the
Indonesian Corruption Watch, while ICW executives have in turn
reported Ghalib to the police for insulting and threatening them
in public.
Later on Friday, Minister of Justice Muladi denied that
President B.J. Habibie was inconsistent with his decision to
temporarily replace Ghalib with Feisal Tanjung, although he
conceded that the hasty change was influenced by public protest.
"Basically the government view is to listen to people's
aspirations. It is the most democratic decision," said Muladi
after accompanying Habibie in a meeting with visiting
International Monetary Fund first deputy managing director
Stanley Fischer at Merdeka Palace.
Muladi also said the investigation into Ghalib's bank accounts
should be limited to the Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI)
fund he kept in his private accounts.
"What is suspected is the fund for the wrestling organization,
so it must be the subject of the investigation," said Muladi.
(byg/prb)