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)