Susilo defends AG
Susilo defends AG against House
JAKARTA: President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono rejected on Wednesday the House of Representatives' demand for him to "strongly reprimand" Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh who has helped jail a number of local councillors for graft.
As the strong reprimand was interpreted by some legislators as "dismissal", State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said the House could not force the President to dismiss the chief prosecutor.
"The House cannot force the President to do what it wants or vice versa. Each has its own power, one cannot intervene in the affairs of the other," Yusril said at the State Palace.
He said the government would examine and respond to a letter from the House requesting the President to rebuke Rahman following a brief commotion in the House last week.
The rift started after a House member called Rahman a "Muslim teacher in the village of thieves", while others accused his office of being unfair in prosecuting graft cases that mainly targeted councillors from major parties. --JP
;JP;NFK; ANPAa..r.. Labor-Protection-Govt
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Six labor offices planned
JAKARTA: The government said on Wednesday it would open labor offices in six more countries in an move to boost protection for Indonesian workers there and settle their problems immediately.
Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Fahmi Idris said these offices would be opened in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Kuwait and Taiwan.
"The finance ministry and the administrative reform ministry have approved the plans to open labor offices in Hong Kong, Kuwait and the UAE," he told a hearing with the House of Representatives.
Fahmi said the government had recently open similar offices at the Indonesian embassies in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, where Indonesian workers have often been run into problems with their employers and officials. --Antara
;JP;EVA;CD; ANPAa..r.. Scene-Adrian-Disciplinary
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Police officers to face punishment
JAKARTA: The police held a disciplinary hearing for four police officers on Wednesday accused of taking bribes from suspects in the Rp 1.7 trillion (US$188 million) Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) scam in 2003.
The four officers were police fraud squad deputy chief Sr. Comr. Bambang Premantoro, Sr. Comr. Irman Santosa, Sr. Comr. Mashudi and Adj. Sr. Comr. Wirosaleh.
They were charged with acting beyond their authority by giving the Bank fraud suspects, including Adrian Waworuntu, special treatment and receiving bribes in the form of notebook computers and cellular phones.
Chief prosecutor Sr. Comr. Warsito said the five-hour hearing, presided over by police fraud squad chief Brig. Gen. Andi Chaeruddin, heard testimonies from Adrian.
Warsito said the hearing committee was scheduled to announce the sanctions for the four next week.
Earlier, the same committee suspended Brig. Gen. Samuel Ismoko as chief investigator in the BNI graft case for being found guilty of similar charges. --JP