Attorney General slow in handling corruption at Pertamina

The Attorney General Office has been charged of being so slow in handling the corruption charges taking place in state oil and gas company Pertamina. Of the 159 cases filed in early 1999, only nine had been worked out, Suara Pembaruan reported on Friday.

Members of the House of Representatives, Saul de Ornay and Pramono Agung, said in Jakarta that they feared the Attorney General Office was not serious enough in handing the corruption cases, which had inflicted losses of over US$163.8 billion to the state.

The legislators also said that they were pessimistic if the corruption cases, which mostly involved former president Soeharto's children, relatives and friends, would be able to reach the court.

The Soeharo's family and friends were involved in most of projects in the country's oil and gas sectors, which were carried out by Pertamina since almost three decades ago. They were mostly charged with marking up the value of the contracts given by the state oil and gas company.

"The corruption charges have been filed in early 1999 but no suspects have been found," Pramono told the daily. (*)