Susilo to advise on suspects in Telkom case

The government-sanctioned anticorruption team "still awaits President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's instruction and input" before naming suspects into alleged corruption at state telecommunications company PT Telkom.

Team coordinator Hendarman Supandji said that the team could not name any suspects as it had promised earlier because "there were too many cases that need further investigation".

Hendarman had said earlier that he would make public corruption cases at the company as well as naming suspects this week.

"Naming suspects will require an instruction from President Susilo. The President has indicated that the suspects should involve leaders of the company," he told reporters at the State Palace late on Tuesday.

Hendarman said although several Telkom directors had been dismissed by the government, they did not have legal immunity for the policies and practices they were responsible for during their tenure, and which might lead to criminal charges.

The anticorruption team raised the status of its investigations into Telkom from inquiry to prosecution last week, with cases including alleged irregularities in joint-venture contracts as well as kickbacks for the construction of telecommunications network.

However the company's president director Tanri Abeng had said earlier that he was not aware of the probe.

Hendarman refused to disclose the names of Telkom's former and incumbent executives who had been summoned by the team for questioning.

Telkom shareholders last week named banker Arwin Rasyid to take over the firm's top post from Kristiono in a massive reorganization following investigations by the anticorruption team. -- JP