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)