Winters banned from entering RI

JAKARTA (JP): The government has slapped a ban on American professor Jeffrey A. Winters from entering Indonesia for allegedly humiliating Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Minister of Justice Muladi said on Thursday.

"Starting from today, the American political observer is banned from entering Indonesia until there is a formal settlement of the humiliation," he said at a ceremony commemorating the 41st anniversary of the University of Diponegoro in Semarang, Central Java.

Muladi said that Winters had violated Article 316 of the Criminal Code on humiliation and that the Indonesian government would sue him.

The only problem was that Indonesia had no extradition treaty with the United States so that the Indonesian government could not make any approach on the case to the government of the United States, he said.

The National Police has also launched an investigation into an insinuation by Winters that Ginandjar was involved in a corruption scandal with copper and gold mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia.

Lt. Col. Saleh Saaf of the police's information service told reporters on Thursday that a special team had been set up to investigate the case, including to "hunt down" Winters for the humiliation of Ginandjar.

Winters, a professor of political economics at Northwestern University in Chicago, U.S.A., said at a news conference here on Monday that Ginandjar was not the right person to head the national anticorruption campaign because he was currently facing allegations of colluding with PT Freeport Indonesia.

Winters' statement was based on allegations that Ginandjar had brokered the share transaction between Freeport and PT Bakrie Brothers during his tenure as minister of mines and energy from 1988 to 1993.

This accusation was strongly denied on Wednesday by Ginandjar, who seemed furious and felt very "humiliated" by the allegations.

Saleh reiterated on Thursday that Ginandjar did not necessarily have to lodge a complaint with the police over the accusation, but his reaction was sufficient confirmation for the police to investigate the offense.

"As Ginandjar is a high-ranking state official, we automatically have to protect his dignity," Saleh said.

Winters reportedly left Jakarta on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on a Malaysia Airways' flight to Kuala Lumpur on his way to the United States.

"Police have sought information from some witnesses and we are now in the process of collecting more evidence," Saleh said.

When asked about other steps the police might take after securing the banning of Winters from entering Indonesia, Saleh declined to answer.

"If Winters reads The Jakarta Post's reports about what measures the police would take, are afraid he will surely take precautions," Saleh said.

However, Winters was quoted by Antara in New York as saying on Wednesday night that he would not retract his statements on the alleged corruption scandal.

"Even though I did not directly say that Ginandjar was involved in the corruption allegations, I will not retract my statements whatsoever," he said.

"If I am arrested due to my statements, it will be okay. The arrest will even constitute a good chance for me to do thorough research on corruption and collusion practices in the awarding of the working contract to Freeport," he said.

He also warned that if he was really arrested, it would only blow up the case internationally, thereby harming the Indonesian government's image abroad.

"By exaggerating the case, including banning me from entering Indonesia or threatening to arrest me, the Indonesian government is only destroying itself," he said.

Winters' scheduled appearance at a major international seminar in Jakarta next month has also been put in doubt in view of his status, the organizers of the Indonesia Forum said on Wednesday.

"Winters was one of the first invited speakers to confirm his participation," Yanto Soegiarto of the organizing committee said.

Winters has been billed along with politician Amien Rais and senior Armed Forces officer Lt. Gen. Luhut Pandjaitan in the session on Political and Social Issues at the Indonesian Forum, planned for Jakarta on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20.

The organizers this week said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Muhammad, another invited speaker, had also decided not to take part in view of the political situation in his country. (har/emf/emb/hhr)