Muladi: Gus Dur has little legal knowledge
Muladi: Gus Dur has little legal knowledge
SEMARANG (JP): President Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid's order
to delay legal proceedings against three of the country's most
indebted businessmen just demonstrates the President's
insufficient knowledge of the law, says newly-appointed justice
Muladi.
"Gus Dur should have consulted legal experts before making
statements on law-related matters," the former minister of
justice, Muladi, told journalists here on Tuesday.
The President also had no legal authority to postpone any
legal process. "His prerogative rights only include giving
pardon, amnesty and abolition."
"Therefore Gus Dur should have asked the Attorney General or
Minister of Justice before making any statements relating to
legal affairs, or people will again be startled by his confusing
statements," said Muladi.
Abdurrahman made the controversial statement in Seoul last
week when he admitted to having ordered the Attorney General's
Office to delay the prosecution of the chairman of Texmaco Group,
Marimutu Sinivasan, chairman of Barito Pacific Group Prajogo
Pangestu, and Gadjah Tunggal Group chairman Syamsul Nursalim.
The three owe billions of dollars in bad debts to the
Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).
The President's decision was based on the fact that the
business groups were major exporters who could contribute to the
country's economic recovery.
"I think that the President just used his logic (when making
the statements)," Muladi said. "Things must be transparent. How
far would the delay in the legal proceedings benefit the workers,
exports and the country's industry?"
"Anyhow, the President's order is not legally sound. It's just
a statement. The House of Representatives should ask the
President for clarification on the issue of the three business
tycoons."
"The Attorney General has the authority to inform the public
about the legal proceedings against the three businessmen," said
Muladi, former rector of the Semarang-based Diponegoro
University.
Asked about the idea of the establishment of a new
intelligence body, Muladi said that the existing intelligence
body needed to be reorganized. "I am of the opinion that we don't
need a new intelligence body."
It was Minister of Defense Mahfud MD who aired the idea on the
formation of a new intelligence body.
"Reorganizing the State Intelligence Coordinating Agency
(Bakin) would be better," Muladi said, adding that Indonesia now
also needed laws on intelligence to make clear-cut duties for an
intelligence body.
"The laws will enable the intelligence body to work more
appropriately in protecting the state, including the maintenance
of human rights." (har/sur)