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)