Sudjana replaces secretary-general

JAKARTA (JP): Darmoko Slamet, the president of state-owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang, will replace Umar Said as the Ministry of Mines and Energy's secretary-general next week.

Minister of Mines and Energy, I.B. Sudjana, confirmed the replacement yesterday saying President Soeharto had approved it.

The new secretary-general would be officially installed Monday, he said after witnessing the signing of contracts for gas exploration and production between state oil company Pertamina and local and foreign companies.

The replacement was made following a report by independent consultant Strathcona Mineral Services Ltd early this month that said Bre-X's claim to have found the century's largest gold deposit at Busang in East Kalimantan was a hoax.

When asked why the replacement could not wait until after the general election, the minister said there was nothing special in the replacement.

"It is time to replace him. That's all. So there is no need to wait until the general election," he said.

The replacement will be the third made by the minister in the last two months.

Earlier, in a move believed to be connected with the Busang case, he discharged two senior ministry officials: director general of general mining, Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, and director general of electricity and energy development, Zuhal. They were both Bandung Institute of Technology alumni.

Kuntoro was replaced by Adjat Sudradjat, the former director general of geology and mineral resources, and Zuhal by Endro Utomo Notodisuryo, the former director of energy development.

Commenting on critics' calls for his resignation, Sudjana said, "I have reported this to President Soeharto. And last night State Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono told me that as President Soeharto appointed me it was for him to decide." (bnt)