Camelia Pasandaran – The Presidential Palace has strongly denounced as unsubstantiated gossip the allegations published on today's The Age that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has abused his power.

"As far as we can tell, the information isn't true. In fact, they're just gossip," said Teuku Faizasyah, the presidential staff for international relations,

The article, titled "Yudhoyono 'Abused Power,'" was published on the Australian paper's front page. Citing Wikileaks cables as its sole source, the article said that the US embassy in Jakarta had serious doubts about the Indonesian president's integrity

"According to the diplomatic cables, Yudhoyono, widely known by his initials SBY, personally intervened to influence prosecutors and judges to protect corrupt political figures and put pressure on his adversaries. He reportedly also used the Indonesian intelligence service to spy on rivals and, on at least one occasion, a senior minister in his own government," the article said.

Teuku said the government has communicated with the US embassy, which acknowledged that the information "needed to be verified."

Teuku had earlier also questioned The Age's editorial decision to run the story without a proper verification process.

"The fact is that the diplomatic cables were only raw data taken from shoddy meetings and sources. The information was raw, it was only rumors and twisted facts," he said, according to news portal Detik.com.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa will question US Ambassador Scot Marciel.

"Minister Marty will summon the US Ambassador in Jakarta to protest the substance of the diplomatic cables," Djoko said, according to Tempointeraktif.com.

Voicing similar concerns as Teuku, Djoko said he questioned the credibility of the information. "It is very raw and unverified information. The US Ambassador must give immediate clarification to the public," Djoko said.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is giving an official press conference at 10 a.m.