Sudomo, Sumarlin

Sudomo, Sumarlin
and the press

Both Sudomo, chief of the Supreme Advisory Council, and
Sumarlin, chief of the Supreme Audit Agency, have given
information as witnesses to the Attorney General's Office in
relation to the Bapindo credit fiasco. But Sudomo and Sumarlin
behaved differently after the interrogation: Sudomo evaded
reporters, while Sumarlin gave a press conference accompanied by
the attorney general.

Sumarlin, right from the beginning, said that he was ready to
give information concerning the Bapindo case and to appear as a
witness in court if asked to that.

Of course Sudomo has the right to avoid the press. But in this
era of openness this evasive attitude will force reporters to get
information from other sources, which of course carries the risk
of distortion. On the other hand, the press is supposed to
present objective information to society.

So do not blame the press for incomplete information and
distortion of facts, which results from the closed attitude of a
first-hand source.

-Suara Karya, Jakarta