Solution to Haryanto's case 'strange': Expert
Solution to Haryanto's case 'strange': Expert
JAKARTA (JP): Legal expert Loebby Loqman said yesterday the government's announcement which cleared Minister of Transportation Haryanto Dhanutirto of alleged financial misdeeds was "strange".
"Seen from a legal point of view, the solution to the corruption charge is strange," the lecturer at the University of Indonesia told The Jakarta Post by telephone.
"This is a political solution, not a legal one. However, I don't believe the case would ever be finished if we were to pursue it only from a legal perspective," he said.
"President Soeharto probably felt that a political solution is more appropriate in this case," he said. "He must have believed that to continue pursuing a legal solution to the case would be harmful politically."
Loebby acknowledged that there were circumstances under which a legal case could not be solved through legal mechanisms, but necessitated a political approach instead.
"As this is a political solution, his accountability should then be pursued through political mechanism, in this case through the People's Consultative Assembly which gives the President the mandate to run the country," he said.
Loebby also acknowledged that there is bound to be dissatisfaction over the way the government has resolved the matter. However, "if the public is still dissatisfied, they could air it through the Assembly".
The Assembly (MPR) convenes once every five year, during which the President gives his account of duty.
Political observer Maswadi Rauf, however, said the announcement clearing Haryanto was far from solving the case. The lecturer at the University of Indonesia said that from either a political or legal perspective, "it is not yet finished".
"This case is not closed yet. It's only considered closed," he insisted.
He pointed out that the legal solution to the case should still be pursued, if only to show the public that laws are being enforced here.
He also suggested that what the public needed to know now is to what degree the Inspector General of Development Kentot Harseno's reports of irregularities at the Ministry of Transportation was accurate.
He pointed out that had a more comprehensive, legal solution be taken up, the case would not have developed into such a great political issue inviting various interpretations from the public.
Among the various interpretations was one which considered the whole affair a political plot to destroy a number of people who are close to State Minister for Research and Technology B.J. Habibie. Both Haryanto and Habibie are leaders of the influential Association of Indonesian Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI).
"It's the government's responsibility to counter such charges by proving the innocence of its people," he said.
Haryanto himself was not available for comments yesterday. Hordes of reporters waited for him for hours, in vain, both at his office and at home.
His staff, including ministry's spokesman Bambang S. Ervan, could not tell where Haryanto was yesterday.
When news of irregularities at the transportation ministry broke, various groups reacted differently.
There were people, including former student activists grouped at the Fosko 66, who demanded that Haryanto resign.
There were also people, including his neighbors in Lembang, West Java, who not only believed Haryanto's innocence, but even considered him "a victim of cruelty" and said special prayers for his safety.
There were still others who acted neutrally and suggested that Attorney General Singgih assign a special team to investigate the allegations.
The office of the Attorney General has indeed set up such a team, but it hasn't yet done anything, according to Tiras weekly.
Loebby pointed out yesterday that there was no point in asking the Attorney General Office to investigate the case further because, structurally, the office is also a part of the executive branch of power under President Soeharto. (swe/04)