Moerdiono confirms probe into transportation ministry
Moerdiono confirms probe into transportation ministry
BANGKOK (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono confirmed yesterday media reports of an investigation into allegations of financial irregularities at the Ministry of Transportation.
Speaking to reporters here, where he is accompanying President Soeharto at the ASEAN summit, Moerdiono appealed to the media to exercise restraint and not to blow the issue out of proportion.
He said he has ordered his office to launch a separate investigation into how classified government documents about the affair were leaked to the press.
The allegations center on Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto, who was recruited during the 1993 cabinet reshuffle. He is reportedly close to State Minister of Research and Technology B.J. Habibie, and one of Habibie's deputies on the newly formed executive board of the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals.
The allegations reportedly reached President Soeharto from a report filed on Oct. 10 by Kentot Harsono, the Inspector General for Development, who answers to Moerdiono.
Press reports said a rift has been growing between Haryanto and some of the senior officials in his ministry as well as the presidents of the state companies under his charge. Among the state companies overseen by the Ministry of Transportation are Garuda Indonesia, Perumka and the airport management authorities.
Moerdiono said President Soeharto has asked Vice President Try Sutrisno to follow up on the report.
He said preliminary findings by Try's office confirmed some of the allegations, though Moerdiono would not go into detail. He added that other allegations were totally unfounded.
Soeharto summoned Haryanto following the report and asked the minister for his response to the report, Moerdiono said.
"If I may note here, some of these (alleged wrongdoings) were the result of poor administrative discipline," Moerdiono said.
The minister appealed to the media to abide by the principle of presumption of innocence in reporting the issue. He warned that excessive reporting could lead to unwarranted implications.
Moerdiono said he had ordered his supervision assistance to open an investigation into how confidential government papers, intended solely for President Soeharto, fell into the wrong hands.
"I need to stress here that this investigation is necessary because, apart from the material content of the report, these important papers should not have been leaked to parties who have no authority to read them," Moerdiono said.
He said the investigation will cover his own office, the inspectorate general of development, and the vice presidential office -- the only government agencies privy to information about irregularities in the Ministry of Transportation.
He pointed out that "99.9" percent of all official letters addressed to President Soeharto go through the State Secretariat. (rid/emb)