No tribunal for Agus and Saurip: Gen. Endriartono

JAKARTA (JP): Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto announced on Monday the Army would not call a Military Tribunal (DKM) to hear charges against Lt. Gen. Agus Wirahadikusumah and Maj. Gen. Saurip Kadi.

"So far, we (the Army) have not found any concrete evidence of violations (committed by the two) that would make us take legal action," Endriartono said following a hearing with House of Representatives Commission I for security, defense and foreign affairs.

A Military Tribunal is a nonstructural body that hears cases against military officers, giving its recommendation as to what, if any, sanctions should be imposed, Endriartono said.

However, he did not say if the Army would clear Agus and Saurip of all charges or continue investigating the pair.

Agus, a former Army Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) chief, and Saurip, a former assistant to the Army chief for territorial affairs, have been accused of "indiscipline".

Agus has been accused of being absent without leave, and Saurip of publishing a book about the military's activities without the Army's permission. Agus also has been accused of disclosing an alleged Rp 189 billion (US$21.2 million) corruption scandal at a Kostrad foundation before the Army's investigation into the matter was complete.

The charges against Agus became a hot issue last year when President Abdurrahman Wahid appeared poised to appoint him as Army chief of staff to replace Endriartono's predecessor, Gen. Tyasno Sudarto.

Based on unconfirmed media reports, some 46 Army generals signed a petition threatening to resign en masse if Agus was appointed Army chief. The petition also reportedly recommended that Army Headquarters press disciplinary charges against Agus and Saurip.

In October last year, the two were questioned by Endriartono, who, at the time, was the Army deputy chief of staff.

It was in the middle of an investigation into allegations of corruption in Kostrad by his predecessors that Agus lost his post.

Agus also was questioned by the Army leadership about his decision to send a company of Kostrad troops to Bengkulu without first coordinating with Indonesian Military Headquarters when the province was struck by an earthquake last June.

Both Agus and Saurip have called the allegations slanderous. (02)