President called to simplify interrogation permit

JAKARTA - President's permit to probe state officials should be simplified, as the procedure slow judicial process, a law analyst said Monday.

"The Attorney General's Office must not attach complete case dossier to ask President's permit through State Secretariat or Cabinet Secretariate. Since, the institute has no capacity as law uphold body," Gadjah Mada University's Fajral Faalakh said.

The call is voiced following Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had not received any letters from the offices of the Attorney General or National Police requesting the President issue permits to investigate top officials.

“Currently there is not a single request from the Attorney General or National Police to investigate state officials at the President’s desk,” the Cabinet Secretariat statement said on Monday.

The statement responded to media reports that the Attorney General’s office had submitted letters to the President asking for investigation of the permits for some 61 state officials, some allegedly involved in graft cases.

The officials included heads or deputy chiefs of local administrations, members of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and legislators from the House of Representatives and the Regional Representative Council (DPD).

The statement said that the President would only need two or three days to sign letters extending permits to investigate the state officials.

Previously, North Sumatra High Prosecutor's Office argued sluggish procedure to ask President's approval suspending his side to probe Medan Mayor Rahudman Harahap.

The Prosecutor’s Office first sent a letter requesting the permit in October of 2010. They are still without approval.

Rahudman has been a suspect ever since he failed to take responsibility for more than Rp13.8 billion lost from the South Tapanuli administration's 2005 budget when he was serving as a secretary. According to reports, he illegally distributed loans to 100 officials.

“If the Cabinet Secretariat continues to help Rahudman by intentionally slowing down this process, then I am prepared to step down,” said Prosecutor Chief Sution Usman Adji.

source : waspada.co.id