Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) has dropped graft charges against three officials from the Indonesian Embassy in Thailand and announced it had closed the case.
Marwan Effendy, the assistant attorney general for special crimes, said Thursday he had ordered investigators to drop the case. "We've found no convincing evidence that the suspects acted against the law," he told The Jakarta Post.
He said the suspects had handed over the allegedly embezzled money to the AGO, adding the alleged corruption was "a small administrative error".
The AGO took up the case late last year, naming as suspects Ambassador Muhammad Hatta, deputy chief of mission Djumantoro Purbo and embassy treasurer Suhaeni. Prosecutors at the time claimed to have found "strong indications" of corruption.
Investigators revealed alleged embezzlement of state funding at the embassy, costing the state an estimated 6.17 million baht (US$186,000) and $2,485 in losses.
An audit by the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) also reported indications that the three had misused state funds. The BPKP put its estimate of state losses at Rp 7 billion ($770,000).
On Thursday, Indonesia Corruption Watch deputy coordinator Emerson Yuntho pointed out that under the 2001 Corruption Law, handing over embezzled state funds did not entitle graft suspects to be set free. He accused the AGO of favoritism, pointing out two of the suspects were prominent bureaucrats.
Hatta is a Golkar Party politician and previously chaired the party at the House of Representatives, while Djumantoro is the son of high-ranking retired Army general Purbo Sugiarto Suwondo.
Suwondo served alongside the late Army Special Forces commander, Lt. Gen. (ret) Sarwo Edhi Wibowo, the father of First Lady Kristiani Herawati Yudhoyono.
Deputy Attorney General Darmono denied any special treatment for the two by his office.
"All investigations ending in an official order to halt the investigation are under tight supervision," he told the Post. "I believe it was the correct decision."