TNI approves joint probe into Ginandjar
One of the fattest cats suspected of corruption has taken another hit as the legal noose tightens once again around one of Golkar's top leaders and current Deputy Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Ginandjar Kartasasmita.
Ginandjar, who is currently in Thailand and free to go about his business as one of the country's highest leaders, may soon face the music for his alleged corruption following the issuance of an Armed Forces (TNI) Commander's decree to set up a joint civilian-military investigation to try his case.
"Ginandjar's corruption case has to be tried soon," chief lawyer of TNI Maj. Gen. Timor P. Manurung told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Almost two months have passed since the attorney general ruled that the detention of the former minister of energy and mineral resources was lawful.
The retired three-star Air Force Marshall had been declared a graft suspect in connection with a technical assistance contract he endorsed between privately-run PT Ultraindo Petro Gas and state-owned oil company Pertamina which caused US$24.8 million losses to the state from 1992 to 1995.
Ginandjar was detained by the Attorney General's Office in April 2001 but was released by the South Jakarta District Court not long afterward on the grounds that Ginandjar was an active military officer when the alleged corruption took place and hence he had to be probed by joint civilian-military investigators.
The Attorney General's Office appealed the verdict to the Supreme Court, which ruled early last month that Ginandjar's detention was lawful since it was done in a manner "consistent with the Anti Corruption Law No. 3, 1971".
Law No. 3, 1971 stipulates that the Attorney General's Office is the leader and coordinator of investigation teams probing corruption committed by those subjected to public courts and the system of law.
Timor added that TNI Commander Admiral Widodo AS had ordered the military police to appoint five officers for the joint civilian-military investigation.
"The military police commander told me that he had submitted the names of the officers to the Attorney General's Office," Timor said.
Ginandjar is now in Bangkok, Thailand on an official visit in his capacity as MPR deputy speaker. --JP