Prosecutor faces investigation for alleged blackmail

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Attorney General's Office will grill one of its prosecutors, Harun Al Rasyid, for allegedly attempting to blackmail a suspect in a Rp 4.6 billion corruption case.

Harun is suspected of trying to extort Achmad Ruskandar, former deputy chief of finance to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

"We hope the questioning will be completed by next week," said Achmad Lopa, a Junior Attorney General, said.

Harun, along with former Bulog chief Rahardi Ramelan, has been named a suspect for allegedly disbursing Bulog funds that exceeded the amount requested by president B.J. Habibie in 1999.

Harun will be questioned as demanded by Ruskandar's lawyer Djoko Prabowo.

Djoko claimed that Harun asked him and Ruskandar to consult Eddy Soemarsono, chairman of the Institute for Indonesian Reform Advocacy (LARI), a non-governmental organization.

Eddy was the one who filed the complaint with the Attorney General's Office over the alleged role of Bulog officials in disbursing some Rp 4.6 billion in nonbudgetary funds belonging to the agency.

"Harun at the time told us to make a deal with Eddy. But we (Djoko and Ruskandar) refused his suggestion," Djoko said.

Djoko claimed that Harun eventually contacted Ruskandar personally, telling him that prosecutors would immediately declared him a suspect because he failed to see Eddy.

A few days later, Ruskandar was indeed named a suspect.

Achmad said that the planned investigation would focus on whether Harun meant to use Eddy to blackmail Ruskandar. He added that manipulating a case and blackmailing the accused were grounds for punishment.