[Kabar-indonesia] PLN chief's release sparks blame game

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post 
Saturday, September 2, 2006

PLN chief's release sparks blame game

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police and prosecutors are pointing fingers at each other for the release of 
former state-owned electricity firm (PLN) chief Eddie Widiono from detention 
on graft charges.

Deputy Attorney General Basrief Arief said Friday that as of Thursday, Eddie 
had served his 120 days of detention and had to be freed because the Attorney 
General's Office had not ruled on his dossier yet.

"In the eyes of the law, he must be released, but that doesn't mean we have 
halted the legal procedures for investigating his case," he said.

Basrief explained that the AGO could only rule on a dossier from police and 
bring a case to court if the case file met material and formal requirements.

"And in the case of Eddie's dossier, the AGO has found there are several 
requirements that must be fulfilled by police investigators so that we can bring 
the case to court," he said.

Basrief added that prosecutors would have to review the dossier carefully and 
make sure it covered all the requirements, including valid evidence.

"The prosecutors will have to be responsible when it goes to court. For 
example, judges can stop a case due to an incomplete dossier," he said.

Police delivered Eddie's dossier to the AGO for a second time Monday after 
completing it, as requested by the AGO. The AGO had returned Eddie's first 
dossier to the police last Friday.

AGO deputy for special crimes Hendarman Supandji said Friday that his office 
had not found valid evidence in the dossier that Eddie had enriched himself, 
or someone else, and cost the state money.

Under the 1999 law on corruption, state officials can be charged with graft 
if they enrich themselves or someone else, and cause losses to the state.

National Police chief Gen. Sutanto voiced regret Thursday over Eddie's 
release.

"The police have been trying hard to wipe out corruption in the country. We 
had actually found enough evidence. In fact the evidence to bring Eddie to 
court is stronger than in any other graft case but it turns out that the AGO has a 
different view," he said.

He added that the police planned to bar Eddie from going abroad.

The police have charged Eddie with allegedly inflating the cost of the Borang 
gas power plant project in Palembang, South Sumatra, costing the state Rp 122 
billion (US$13.4 million).

The police had also named three other suspects -- PLN director of power 
plants and primary energy Ali Herman Ibrahim; deputy director of power plants Agus 
Darmani and Johannes Kennedy Aritonang, an official of PLN's partner company.

However, the three were released because the police told the AGO they could 
not complete their dossiers. The AGO then took over that investigation.

"The AGO can take over any investigation of a graft case after receiving a 
letter from the police that they have made maximum efforts (but failed) to 
complete the dossier," Basrief explained.

He added that the AGO then has 14 days to carry out an investigation and 
complete the dossier. If they fail to do so, they have to close the case.

"That's what happened to the previous three suspects," said Basrief.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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