Heru Andriyanto – The AGO remained defiant in the face of criticism on Wednesday, with its spokesman playing down calls for urgent internal reform within its ranks, including those from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"We are still solid," AGO spokesman Didiek Darmanto said when asked whether his office would follow the police's current reshuffle that saw 16 high ranking and nine middle-ranking officers move jobs. "We mind our own business. Never compare the jobs of police and prosecutors, we are different."
The institution has come under the public glare after the National Police's move to pursue extortion and power abuse charges against two deputy chairmen of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah.
Calls for reform within the police and the AGO have increased since wiretapped telephone conversations were played in the Constitutional Court that implied some officials of the two institutions were involved in fabricating charges against the deputies.
Yudhoyono, in a statement broadcast nationwide on Tuesday, called on the National Police, the AGO and the KPK, to address the problems within their respective institutions.
The National Police has since replaced its chief of detectives, Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, who is widely seen as being at the center of efforts to bring criminal charges against the KPK deputies.
Abdul Hakim Ritonga, who along with Susno was also mentioned in the incriminating telephone conversations, has since resigned from his position as deputy attorney general, but Didiek said the move was by no means a part of any reform in the AGO.
"He resigned voluntarily. The attorney general [Hendarman Supandji] didn't propose his resignation," he said. "Don't push us to reshuffle."
Didiek also said there were no internal sanctions planned against Wisnu Subroto, the former AGO deputy for intelligence, who was also heard in the recordings giving instructions to several unidentified persons on how to testify against Bibit and Chandra.
"He doesn't have a job now, where else should he go?" Didiek said. Wisnu was replaced as an AGO deputy in May but remains an active prosecutor until he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 62 in two years. "Has [Wisnu] been declared guilty already? I don't think so. Besides, he has already given us a clarification," Didiek said.
Zainal Arifin Muchtar, a legal expert from Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said the president's approach to the controversy was allowing the AGO to avoid responsibility.
"The president has been very indecisive and that has given the AGO the courage to deny everything," Zainal said. "His latest speech was open to multiple interpretations, with no clear direction about who should be punished. The president should have cited names so the attorney general would have no excuses. The president needs to make a breakthrough," Zainal added.