Three prosecutors punished for bribery

Three prosecutors punished for bribery

JAKARTA (JP): Three state prosecutors have been found guilty
of taking hundred-million rupiah bribes while handling
preliminary investigations of a corruption case involving former
president Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti "Tutut"
Rukmana.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on Thursday that the
three, who had handled a government project to construct an oil
pipeline in Java, added to the dozens of cases across the country
of prosecutors who have been punished for bribery, concealing
evidence or undisciplined behavior in the past year.

He refused to elaborate.

Deputy Attorney for Career Development Affairs, Soeparman,
said that the three prosecutors were from the Attorney General's
Office of intelligence affairs. They were subject to
administrative sanctions after an investigation against them
starting in November revealed that they were guilty.

"One of them, Anang S. Basuni was dismissed while two others,
namely, Ibnu Haryadi and Charles Mooi were demoted and cannot be
promoted for one year," he said as quoted by Suara Pembaruan in
an interview.

Suparman declined to disclose more details, including when the
sanctions took effect and where the money came from.

The construction of oil pipeline scandal not only implicated
Tutut, commissioner of PT Trihasra Bimanusa Tunggal, but also
former Pertamina president Faisal Abda'oe and PT Trihasra
director Rosano Barrack.

The Attorney General's Office, which started investigating the
project on Nov. 11, 2000, found irregularities in the agreement
between state oil and gas company Pertamina and PT Trihasra
Bimanusa Tunggal.

The scam had allegedly caused some US$22 million in losses to
the state. (bby)