Lawyer says some leaks are welcomed

Lawyer says some leaks are welcomed

JAKARTA (JP): Vocal lawyer Luhut Pangaribuan said on Saturday
that Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono's plan to launch an
investigation into how classified government documents fell into
the wrong hands misses the point.

Luhut, the chairman of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, said
that the state documents alleging the financial misconduct of a
cabinet minister are of public interest.

Rather than seeking a culprit, "we should be thankful to
whoever leaked them," Luhut told The Jakarta Post.

Three documents written by Inspector General for Development
Kentot Harseno for President Soeharto appear to be the basis of
media reports that transportation minister Haryanto Dhanutirto is
under investigation for alleged misconduct.

Moerdiono did not deny the existence of the letters but said
that while some of the allegations might be true, others were
unfounded. He also cautioned the media to treat the affair with
care due to the classified nature of the documents.

Moerdiono said the leak could have come from one of three
government agencies that were privy to the documents: the State
Secretariat, the Vice Presidential Office and the Office of the
Inspector General for Development.

Luhut said that even if the disclosures were politically
motivated, the news of misappropriated and unaccounted-for state
funds is clearly public domain. (anr)