Teten plans to send more 'gifts' to Ghalib

BANDUNG (JP): Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib, who has recently been accused of abusing his power to enrich himself, can expect to come under further scrutiny after the disclosure by the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) of money, allegedly bribes, transferred to his bank accounts.

"I still have other 'bombs' for Ghalib, as many reports about his savings in other banks have been sent to us," Teten Masduki, executive coordinator of the independent corruption watchdog, said here on Wednesday.

ICW was established in June last year by noted lawyers and social activists to fight for the recovery of assets allegedly amassed illegally by former president Soeharto and his family and friends.

Since its establishment, the body has received around 2,000 reports from the public, most of which relate to major cases, Teten said. However, the ICW has to investigate the reports before making them public, he said.

In a media briefing on June 3, Teten and Bambang Widjojanto, a member of ICW's ethics board, announced that Rp 1.8 billion (US$225,000) was transferred to separate bank accounts registered to Ghalib and his wife Andi Murniati.

Part of the money was sent by prominent businessmen Prajogo Pangestu and The Nin King, who were recently investigated by the Attorney General's Office for financial crimes.

At the time of the announcement, Ghalib was in Europe tracing the alleged wealth of the Soeharto family reported by Time magazine. Ghalib's wife reportedly accompanied the active Army lieutenant general during the trip.

In a second press conference, ICW revealed evidence of a huge amount of savings in Ghalib's name that was said to be "not proportional" to his monthly salary of about Rp 7.5 million.

The 53-year-old general has admitted to have received money transfers totaling Rp 450 million from Prajogo and The Nin King, although he claimed the transfers were donations for the Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI) he chairs.

Teten said similar cases could be made against several Cabinet ministers, but said he preferred to finish Ghalib's case before disclosing other names.

"If Ghalib is dismissed, he will point his finger at other people too," Teten said in a discussion in Bandung.

Teten also denied that ICW took such actions to intentionally defame Ghalib. "They're Ghalib's sins. I told him not to go to Switzerland (to trace Soeharto's wealth). It's impossible even if the person gives him the power of attorney."

"As he went to trace another person's bank accounts, his own bank accounts here are messed up," said Teten, who graduated from the Chemistry School of the Bandung Institute of Teachers' Training (IKIP).

He said he wanted to give an example to Ghalib of how to investigate bank accounts.

ICW has really made its milestone in combating the collusion, corruption and nepotism prevalent in the country with the uncovering of Ghalib's controversial transfers.

"I'm not the main actor ... ICW is only a mediator," Teten said.

He said people should thank the unidentified parties that sent the data to ICW's office via a courier firm on May 27.

"They're remarkable, we will never disclose who leaked the data as we don't know who they are," he said.

Over the last two months, a five-man team within the body has studied operation methods and patterns of corruption at the Supreme Court and the Attorney General's Office -- as suggested by Indonesian political observer Daniel S. Lev and a professor of law from the Netherlands.

But then, out of the blue, ICW received a package, comprising bank account numbers, balances and transactions belonging to Ghalib and his wife at the Lippo Bank's Melawai office in South Jakarta.

"We checked whether the accounts belong to Attorney General Ghalib," he said.

He said that banks do not reveal the ownership of accounts when asked, even for official purposes.

"They will even possibly close the accounts. It's also impossible to ask those who have transferred the money. They will be tightlipped or the accounts will be eliminated."

"To find out who owns the account, just make a transfer to the account and ask for a printout. If the account is then closed, I still have the printout," Teten said.

"I transferred Rp 50,000 to each account ... it's my donation to the country's wrestling sport," he said.

However, Teten said the body did not expect Ghalib to be so publicly condemned when the findings were disclosed to public.

"Pak Ghalib was in Switzerland at that time. We gave journalists the data from the accounts and we also reported it to the Military Police for protection, as those who gave the money were people whose cases were handled by the Attorney General's Office," he said.

"We have already traced where the money has gone. It was a quick investigation, which was done not only by ICW. Before we invited journalists (for the press conference), we asked several newspapers to interview the wrestling body, which we believed would deny it, because the money was stated as donations," he said.

"We threw in this fishing line and Pak Ghalib quickly took the bait. What a lele dumbo (big catfish), as soon as he sees the excrement he will take it."

ICW wanted to be sure that they were Ghalib's accounts. If the bait was taken, then it would be easier to get the fish, he said, without elaborating further.

A former labor activist, Teten admitted that many people had offered him bribes, but said he kept rejecting the offers.

"I'm poor but I can't be bribed," he said. (43/emf)