Marzuki gets 10 days to act on major corruption cases

JAKARTA (JP): A presidential aide on Monday blasted Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, saying his work had become almost indefensible and that President Abdurrahman Wahid has given him until the end of March to act on major corruption cases.

In the most public lashing yet against Marzuki, presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said "it will be difficult for the President to retain the attorney general if no concrete results can immediately be seen."

"The government really has an interest in seeing major corruption cases immediately taken to court, but it's true that there are many obstacles and also criticisms of the attorney general's performance," Wimar told reporters at the Merdeka Palace.

"So, the President told the attorney general that it is becoming hard to keep defending him unless he can immediately come up with satisfactory results."

Wimar was speaking after an unscheduled meeting between the President, Marzuki, Justice and Human Rights Minister Baharuddin Lopa and National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro at the palace on Monday afternoon.

Wimar was quick to add, however, that the President "is not losing trust in the attorney general".

"But, the President can't keep defending the attorney general before the public ... so hopefully by the end of this month there will be some arrests or other actions that could be easily understood by the public," he said.

The latest remarks further highlight the gaping cracks within the administration as Abdurrahman continues to fight for his presidential survival.

On Thursday Abdurrahman sacked Minister of Forestry Nurmahmudi Ismail.

The latest move comes at a time when Abdurrahman is facing the likelihood of a second memorandum following a House of Representatives censure for his alleged involvement in two financial scandals.

The prosecution of high profile corruption cases, particularly those in the New Order era, is one of the duties to which Abdurrahman was assigned when he took office in October 1999 and which could become a high profile political commodity in his bid to fight off attacks against his presidency.

The attorney general's office has been under fire for failing to bring former president Soeharto to trial for corruption.

There is also pressure to bring top military and police officers to court for alleged human rights abuses in the former Indonesian province of East Timor.

To make matters worse, attempts to detain Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, who has been convicted of corruption have been completely bungled. Tommy remains at large.

Denial

Despite Wimar's assertions, Marzuki quickly launched a stinging denial chiding the presidential spokesman as a person who "needs to be straightened out."

"I draw the conclusion that what was said by Wimar strayed from what was meant, which twisted the announcement from the results of the evaluation with the President on the prospects of law enforcement in Indonesia," Marzuki said.

"I have telephoned and talked to the President, (to ask him) whether it was really the President who sent that message through Wimar, and this has been fully denied by Gus Dur," Marzuki told journalists.

He accused Wimar of "deviating" from the facts and creating what appeared to be "a political problem over the relations between the attorney general and the President."

"The President has never intervened in the process of law enforcement handled by the attorney general's office," Marzuki said.

"The President fully understands that the process of law enforcement is adjusted to fluctuations in the political situation," he added.

Earlier in the day Abdurrahman, during an interview with a number of Australian journalists, said he was under pressure to replace Marzuki for failing to bring top political figures accused of corruption and human rights abuses to trial.

In the transcript of the interview, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, Abdurrahman said that "the end of this month" deadline was set to make Marzuki "work harder".

"I said to the attorney general that he has until the end of this month to detain three important people ... and if not, I will replace him," Abdurrahman said, adding that "only through this way can I make him work harder".

When pressed to disclose whom the three were, Abdurrahman said: "I will not disclose the names because this is not fair." (byg/bby)