Soeharto files suit against attorney general
Soeharto files suit against attorney general
JAKARTA (JP): Only two days after the Attorney General's Office issued a ruling on Monday that former president Soeharto be put under house arrest, the country's former strongman has struck back challenging the validity of the ruling.
Spokesman to the South Jakarta District Court Soedarto confirmed on Friday that the court received the pretrial lawsuit on Wednesday.
"The lawsuit is now in the hands of the Head of the South Jakarta District Court. It's his authority to name the prosecuting judges," Soedarto told reporters at his office.
Secretary to the South Jakarta District Court, M. Yusuf Maulana, however confirmed that the initial hearing of the lawsuit would be held next Wednesday.
"Judge Roesmandani will be the sole judge presiding the pretrial hearing, which is scheduled to be completed within seven days," Maulana said.
Based on court protocol, a pretrial hearing is led by only one judge. The court protocol also states that the hearing should be completed within seven days.
In the lawsuit, Soeharto demanded the Court declare that an Oct. 11, 1999 decree of the office, which halted the investigation into Soeharto's alleged practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism, was lawful.
The former strongman also urged the district court to declare as unlawful the office's April 13, 2000 decree which put Soeharto under city arrest, the office's May 29, 2000 decree which converted the city arrest status into a house arrest status, and the office's decree to prolong his arrest period.
All Soeharto's lawyers signed the lawsuit. They were Juan Felix Tampubolon, Syamsul Hadi, O.C. Kaligis, Victor Siregar, Indriyanto Seno Adji, Mohammad Asegaff, Denny Kailimang and Aibrah Said.
The lawsuit names Attorney General Marzuki Darusman, Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Ramelan and the office's Director for Investigation Affairs Ris Shombing as defendants.
The lawsuit was apparently a response to the Office's decision to tighten control over the former president, as the office had shifted Soeharto's arrest status from city arrest to house arrest on Monday.
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman ordered the former president be put under house arrest immediately after he met with President Abdurrahman Wahid on Monday.
Spokesman to the Attorney General's Office Yushar Yahya said the decision was taken to accelerate the ongoing alleged corruption investigation into the former president.
The investigation was put on setback after then acting attorney general Ismudjoko decided on Oct. 11 last year that the office stop the year-long investigation into the former president due to lack of evidence.
But, Marzuki Darusman, who replaced Ismudjoko last December, ordered that the office reopen the investigation into alleged corruption by the former president.
Marzuki said, without going into detail, that his office had discovered new evidence, eligible to reopen the investigation into the former president. (asa)