President allows AG to question Ginandjar over Balongan scam

President Abdurrahman Wahid said on Friday that he had given his approval for the Attorney General's Office to question the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) deputy chairman Ginandjar Kartasasmita over graft allegations in the Balongan refinery project, the Paiton power plant project and the divestment of shares at gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia.

"I was asked for an approval letter (to question Ginandjar), I gave it, because the motive behind it is good, that is to find legal clarity," Abdurrahman said after attending a Friday worship at Baiturrahim mosque in the state palace complex.

The President called on the people not to be prejudice against Attorney General Marzuki Darusman for his call for Ginandjar not to travel abroad because the request was made to facilitate the questioning.

Meanwhile, Marzuki said that his office would not tolerate any intervention, including from the President, in investigating graft allegations involving Ginandjar.

Marzuki said that the questioning of Ginandjar had nothing to do with recent political development.

Once again, the President called on the people to be patient with the government's move to eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism practices. He said the government faced difficulties in collecting evidence.

He said that the government's determination to fight against corrupters and public pressures to bring corrupters to court would force the corrupters to return the wealth they corrupted in the past to the state.

Abdurrahman said that he was committed to building a clean government, and he again reiterated that the he was free from the so-called Bulogate and Bruneigate. The president said that he would let law enforcers to investigate both the scandals and let his own people be prosecuted if there are indications of their involvement. (*)