Teten plans to send more 'gifts' to Ghalib

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)