Ministry of Forestry's secretary general Soeripto dismissed

Ministry of Forestry's secretary general Soeripto dismissed

JAKARTA (JP): Following the dismissal of Minister for Forestry
Nurmahmudi Ismail two weeks ago, President Abdurrahman Wahid
replaced the ministry's secretary general Soeripto on Tuesday.

Harsono, previously director general of nature protection and
conservation, has been nominated to fill the post.

Newly installed Minister of Forestry Marzuki Usman said here
on Tuesday the replacement was in line with government's
regulation regarding the age limit for state employees.

"The only reason for the replacement (of Soeripto) is due to
his age," Marzuki said. Soeripto is 64 years old.

Soeripto has been at the center of controversy recently with
the President charging the former military intelligence officer
with attempting to oust him. A claim that ultimately contributed
to Nurmahmudi's dismissal.

Based on the existing regulation, civil servants should retire
at 60 years of age. "They can still work for two or three more
years under an annual contract," Marzuki said.

Former secretary general Soeripto said he knew nothing about
the reason for his replacement.

"I've just learnt about the replacement at noon (three hours
before the handover ceremony)," Soeripto said, adding that the
letter he received only explained that he was being dismissed
"with full respect from the position of secretary general and
gave thanks" for his work.

Soeripto questioned the validity of the reason for his
dismissal as stated by Marzuki. He said he was already 63 years
old when he was appointed as the secretary general.

For many people the replacement came as no surprise.

Soeripto was pointed out by President Abdurrahman as a reason
for his decision to dismiss former Minister of Forestry
Nurmahmudi Ismail less then two weeks ago.

In a press briefing shortly after his dismissal, Nurmahmudi
disclosed that, among other reasons, he was sacked by the
President because of his refusal to dismiss Soeripto.

He said Abdurrahman told him that he had been informed by
"very reliable and honest sources" that Soeripto had met Maj.
Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono, former chief of the Army's Special
Force (Kopassus), at the Kempinski Hotel in Central Jakarta, to
plot the President's downfall.

Soeripto was also accused by the President of facilitating the
escape of fugitive Hutomo Mandala Putra, the youngest son of
former President Soeharto, by using the ministry's helicopter to
transport him to a hiding place.

He admitted that he had met with Muchdi several times, but he
was quick to add that his meetings with the two-star general were
"only business talks regarding forest concessions".

Several analysts view Soeripto as a key figure behind the
ministry's aggressive campaigns to end the decades-long control
of the country's forestry sector by businessmen linked to the
former Soeharto regime. Thus, his replacement could deal a blow
to the ministry's anti-corruption efforts.

One victim of the ministry's anti-corruption campaign was
timber tycoon Mohammad Bob Hasan, one of Soeharto's closest
friends. He was recently sentenced to six years in jail by the
Jakarta High Court for misappropriating ministry funds.

The imprisonment of Bob Hasan is thus far the biggest success
recorded by Abdurrahman's administration in its anti-corruption
campaign.

Prior to his dismissal, Soeripto was compiling evidence
against two more high profile businessmen Probosutedjo and
Prajogo Pangestu. Both, who are the step brother and friend of
Soeharto respectively, are deeply involved in the forestry
sector. (03/jsk)