Lopa urged to go ahead with antigraft drive

Lopa urged to go ahead with antigraft drive

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Baharuddin Lopa received a
boost to his morale on Friday when the National Awakening Party
(PKB) faction at the House of Representatives agreed to support
his bid to probe alleged graft cases that involve top
legislators.

The faction's chairman, Taufiqurrahman Saleh, told Antara that
his faction was prepared to provide data and information needed
to support the drive against corruption, collusion and nepotism.

"We ask Lopa to go ahead fearlessly in defending the truth,"
Taufiqurrahman said, quoting his party's motto frequently heard
in the 1999 electoral campaign.

President Abdurrahman Wahid has given his approval to the
investigation of House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction chairman
Arifin Panigoro and Golkar Party member Nurdin Halid over graft
charges.

Many have criticized the move, saying that there were
political motives behind the decision given that both Akbar and
Arifin spearheaded the House's bid to proceed with an impeachment
process of Abdurrahman at the People's Consultative Assembly.

Taufiqurrahman said his faction also supports Lopa's move to
uphold the supremacy of the law by investigating past economic
crimes that have caused widespread suffering to people.

While calling for Lopa's committed action, the faction also
condemned alleged intimidation and terror against the attorney
general by other forces wishing to balk the anti-graft drive
mandated by the People's Consultative Assembly.

Meanwhile, some 300 people claiming to be members of PDI
Perjuangan staged a rally in support of Lopa in front of the
Attorney General's Office. They demanded Arifin Panigoro's arrest
and trial.

Clad in red T-shirts and carrying PDI Perjuangan symbols, the
protesters, led by Edi Suwino, urged Lopa to arrest Arifin, whom
they accused of being a New Order figure who had infiltrated the
party.

There are nine more alleged infiltrators, according to the
protesters, including deputy chairman Theo Sjafei, deputy
secretary-general Pramono Anung, PDI-P legislators Yulius Usman
and Benny Pasaribu.