Winters banned from entering RI

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)