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)