Parties doubt Ghalib's case will be resolved

Parties doubt Ghalib's case will be resolved

JAKARTA (JP): Major opposition parties aired doubts on Monday
that the government would take firm action against Andi M.
Ghalib, who stood down as attorney general after bribery
allegations were leveled against him.

National Mandate Party secretary-general Faisal Basri and
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle deputy chairman Dimyati
Hartono said Ghalib would evade any legal consequences as long as
President B.J. Habibie's administration was still in place.

"I am pessimistic because (to thoroughly investigate the case)
would be like breaking a dam; piles of cases involving other
government officials would also be uncovered," Faisal told a
discussion on corruption organized by the independent Indonesian
Corruption Watch (ICW).

On June 14, Habibie suspended Ghalib, an active lieutenant
general in the Army, after ICW executives alleged Ghalib had some
Rp 13 billion (US$1.6 million) in his bank accounts and that some
of the money was suspected to have been bribes from businessmen
under investigation by the Attorney General's Office for banking
law violations.

The government also said Ghalib's bank accounts would be
audited by an independent accounting firm. However, legal experts
said that until Ghalib was officially named a suspect, auditors
would not be able to gain access to the accounts.

"The government will not commit suicide so they will turn this
into an isolated case or at least buy time," Faisal said.

"This is also to save face for the military because a lot of
military officials have done the same thing as Ghalib or even
worse," he said.

Dimyati said Habibie's administration "was born and brought
up" in the New Order regime under former president Soeharto, so
it was unlikely they would wage a serious war against corruption.

"Whatever happens, I think it is clear that Ghalib cannot
resume his post as attorney general even if the audit clears
him," Golkar deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman told The Jakarta
Post on Monday.

"There is already a loss of confidence in his integrity,
therefore it is almost impossible to imagine that he would be
able to resume his post," Marzuki said.

The government on Friday appointed Deputy Attorney General
Ismudjoko acting attorney general. The decision was taken
following sharp criticism over the government's earlier
announcement that it would appoint Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Feisal Tanjung interim attorney
general.

Lawyers and former attorneys said Feisal's appointment would
run contrary to the spirit of the law and the professionalism of
the judiciary, as well as violating a 1991 law which states that
if the attorney general cannot carry out his duties, the post
should be taken over by his deputy.

Marzuki, however, said Ismudjoko was not "the best choice"
because he was also "closely associated with the New Order".

"So, it is an unresolved matter at the moment. The test, of
course, is to what extent (Ismudjoko) can pursue the Soeharto
case," Marzuki said.

Ghalib had headed the investigation into the alleged wealth
Soeharto accumulated during his rule, but he was accused of
failing to vigorously pursue the case.

"The only way to finally resolve this matter is to continue
putting political pressure on the Attorney General's Office. Now
is also the time to consider forming an independent commission to
look into Soeharto's case," Marzuki said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) said it
suspected a number of officials at the Attorney General's Office
were involved in the alleged bribes given to Ghalib.

"We strongly believe that Ghalib's colleagues or his
subordinates were involved or at least knew about the suspected
bribes, so the acting attorney general must take concrete steps
to clean up the office," YLBHI chairman Bambang Widjojanto
announced.

Separately, Minister of Justice Muladi said military police
would not need presidential approval to question Ghalib because
the latter was no longer a Cabinet member.(byg/prb)