Marzuki replaces chief corruption prosecutor
Marzuki replaces chief corruption prosecutor
JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Marzuki Darusman has replaced
Chairul Imam as his chief corruption prosecutor only a week after
the latter imposed a city arrest status on former president
Soeharto.
Marzuki, however, quickly dismissed suggestions that the move
was closely linked to the growing public criticism of the slow
progress the government has been making in the Soeharto
investigation.
Chairul handed over his post to his successor Ris Pandopotan
Sihombing, a senior corruption investigating prosecutor, in a
ceremony witnessed by Marzuki on Thursday.
Also replaced was Togar Hutabarat as director of
prosecution affairs. His place was filled in by Muchtar Arifin.
Togar is joining a course at the National Resilience Institute.
Marzuki told reporters after the ceremony that the decision to
replace Chairul was made because he had already surpassed the
mandatory retirement age of 58 for government prosecutors.
Chairul, who is already 59, became an ordinary prosecutor
until he is fully retired.
"This (change) has nothing to do with the cases he is
handling," Marzuki said.
The changes came only a few weeks after the reassignment of
senior prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office, including
its spokesman Soehandoyo.
Chairul had led the investigation against Soeharto, a suspect
in alleged scams involving the multi-trillion rupiah funds
managed by several tax free charity organizations founded and
chaired by the former president.
The investigation, launched in December, has been widely
criticized for making little or no progress, with the government
team constantly being outwitted by Soeharto and his lawyers.
Citing his ailing health, 78-year old Soeharto has managed to
evade questioning since the investigation began five months ago.
Chairul last week banned Soeharto from leaving the country and
later upgraded the status to a city arrest, which prevents him
from leaving town. It still fell short of President Abdurrahman's
request for a house arrest, however.
This week, Chairul expanded the investigation by questioning
Soeharto's children in connection with the financial management
of the charity foundations.
Marzuki said the team investigating Soeharto's case would be
reorganized following Chairul's departure.
Marzuki said he has also renamed the directorate of corruption
affairs into the directorate of investigation which supervises
the sub-directorates for corruption and for economic affairs.
Marzuki also announced the establishment of a new national
corruption watchdog group.
The Joint Team to Eradicate Corruption is led by former chief
justice Adi Andoyo Sucipto and will have 25 members.
"The team will give priority to the eradication of corrupt
practices in the judiciary system," Marzuki told a media
conference at his office earlier on Thursday.
Members of the team would come from the Attorney General's
Office, the National Police, Bank Indonesia, the Directorate
General of Taxation, the Supreme Audit Agency, the Finance
Development Comptroller, the Capital Market Supervisory Agency,
and the National Land Agency. (01)