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)