Several cases of alleged corruption involving Indonesian diplomats overseas, particularly its ambassadors in Washington and Moscow, have raised concerns over their credibility in representing the country abroad.

The ambassadors to the United States Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat and to Russia, Hamid Awaluddin, are facing investigations at home for their alleged roles in separate corruption cases.

As the envoys are representing Indonesia in two major world powers considered the country's most strategic partners, the loss of their credibility could disrupt Indonesia's image and standing in international relations, experts and lawmakers warned Sunday.

Sudjadnan has been implicated in corruption related to renovations of the Indonesian Embassy building in Singapore in 2003.

During his recent corruption trial, former ambassador to Singapore Mochamad Slamet Hidayat revealed that Sudjadnan had received US$200,000 from the project funds when he was the Foreign Ministry secretary-general.

Sudjadnan has been summoned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for questioning as a witness in the case. He failed to show up, saying he was busy with his duties as ambassador.

Meanwhile, Hamid Awaluddin has been implicated in alleged corruption in a passport project carried out by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry where he was minister from 2005 to 2007.

Hamid, also a former national polls official, managed to evade graft charges against him in connection with the misuse of 2004 election funds, and in another case linked to a bribery scandal involving former president Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

An audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) found that the biometric photo project, which charged each passport applicant Rp 55,000, had no legal basis.

The revenue -- Rp 192.7 billion during the two years the project was operating -- was given to a private company and the ministry's cooperatives without any share handed over to the state, the BPK added.

This alleged case of corruption is being investigated by the Attorney General's Office.

"The cases (against Sudjadnan and Hamid) will of course distract their attention from their duties because they keep thinking about whether or not they will be named suspects," Hariyadi Wirawan, international relations expert at the University of Indonesia, said.

He said although media reports on their possible involvement in the cases would not affect Indonesia's relations with the other countries, the two ambassadors could face credibility problems.

Hariyadi said that if either or both of them was declared a suspect, then Indonesia would lose its credibility in its international diplomacy.

It should be only a matter of time until Sudjadnan is named a graft suspect by the KPK, Adnan Topan Husodo of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said.

"With Slamet's confession and documents held by the KPK, I think Sudjadnan should be named a suspect. We know how the KPK works in handling a collective crime. They will wait until after the verdict, and then start with other people mentioned in the trials," he said.

Lawmaker Andreas Pareira of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) warned President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono against intervening in the investigations into Sudjadnan and Hamid.

Yudhoyono must recall the two ambassadors if they are named suspects, Bantarto Bandoro of the Institute of Defense and Security Studies said.

"We have to learn to send people who really are free from corruption in the future. What is happening now could be an embarrassment to our country," he said.

However, fellow lawmaker Djoko Susilo of the National Mandate Party (PAN) warned the government to uphold the presumption of innocence principle in dealing with the Sudjadnan case.

He specifically praised Sudjadnan for his achievements as the Indonesian ambassador to the United States.

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