Muslem leaders want probe of ducument leakage case
Muslem leaders want probe of ducument leakage case
JAKARTA (JP): Influential Moslem leaders criticized
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono for taking the leakage of
classified state documents too "lightly".
Several mubaligh (Islamic propagators) discussed at length on
Sunday the embezzlement charges against Minister of
Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto contained in three reports by
Inspector General of Development Kentot Harseno to President
Soeharto. The classified documents were leaked to the press and
other parties.
The mubaligh said Moerdiono had acted as if the leakage of
classified documents was trivial.
Moerdiono said earlier that the person found responsible for
the leakage would only be reprimanded.
Ahmad Sumargono cited a 1977 law on archives which stipulates
a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for people found guilty of
intentionally revealing the contents of classified documents to a
third party.
The leading member of the Committee for World Moslem
Solidarity told a gathering at the Islamic Propagation Council
that the leakage cannot be taken lightly.
Quoting the law, he concluded that leaking classified
documents is a crime. "The police should not sit back and do
nothing," he said. "They should find whoever leaked the
documents."
He also said the Attorney General could also investigate if he
deemed the leakage amounted to subversion. "Strange, if the law
enforcers don't investigate," he said.
He said that further investigation might reveal the person who
leaked the documents, his motive, and the accuracy of the
documents.
"We have to apply the principle of equal justice for all,"
Sumargono said.
Other speakers at the gathering were Hussein Umar, a member of
the Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals, and Kholil
Ridwan from the Brotherhood Forum of Islam.
The government has formally closed the embezzlement case
against Haryanto. Despite the announcement, the public is still
upset about the case, and there are demands that the case be
brought to court.
Moerdiono announced last week that Haryanto was guilty of some
"administrative mistakes" but there was no evidence that he
misused funds belonging to state enterprises.
Sumargono suspected a political ploy behind the affair,
especially since the documents were given to the media.
He said other government officials could have committed
similar mistakes, but they were not given extensive media
coverage. (imn/swe)