Standing trial for a corruption case involving a government website, former director-general of the legal administration Romli Atmasasmita questioned Monday why prosecutors failed to probe the role of former justice minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra.
Romli said his former boss Yusril took part in planning the operation of the online service, which prosecutors said caused Rp 400 billion (US$37.5 million) in state losses between 2001 and 2008.
"I don't know. Just ask the Attorney General's Office," Romli, a professor of law at the Bandung-based Padjadjaran University, said, as quoted by Antara.
In their indictment read to the South Jakarta District Court, state prosecutors implicated Yusril and businessman Hartono Tanoesudibjo in the graft case.
"The defendant *Romli* committed a collective crime together with Yohannes Waworuntu, Ali Amran Djannah, Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Hartono Tanoesudibjo," prosecutor Fadil Zumhana told the judges.
Yohanes was president director and Hartono a co-owner of PT Sarana Rekatama Dinamika (SRD), the company that operated the website www.sisminbakum.com, while Ali Amran was an official who oversaw the ministry's cooperative responsible for running the site.
The online service was initiated and owned by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry. It offered public services such as the issuance of notarized acts and the registration of permits.
Yusril, who was dismissed as state secretary by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2007, previously insisted the state suffered no losses as the online system was funded and operated by a private company.
"During his term the sisminbakum fund reached Rp 31 billion," prosecutor Fadil said.
Romli is facing multiple charges of extortion and abuse of power. Each article carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment.
The prosecutor went on to say Romli personally took Rp 1 billion of the service's profits.
The indictment also stipulates that Romli signed a contract with Hartono, which led to a controversial profit-sharing scheme.
The contract said 90 percent of the profits from the online system's services would go to SRD, with the rest going to ministry officials. Prosecutors claim the money should have gone to state coffers as nontax revenue.
The Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) has found indications the online system resulted in state losses of up to Rp 410 billion.
In response to Romli's questions, the prosecutors asked the defendant to convey his objection to the court in the his defense plea next week.
Aside from Romli, state prosecutors have named five suspects in the case, including Romli's successors Syamsudin Manan Sinaga and Zulkarnaen Yunus. Syamsudin is being tried separately in the same case.
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