INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Attorney General Mukaseyqs Visit To

Published: Mon 16 Jun 2008 08:05 AM
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RR RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHJA #1173/01 1680805
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160805Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9298
INFO RUEAWJB/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2101
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 5137
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 2644
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 4674
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 JAKARTA 001173
STATE FOR EAP/MTS, EEB/IFD/OIA, EAD/PD, INL
BARCLAY/SNYDER, L/LEI BUCHHOLZ
DOJ FOR AG MICHAEL MUKASEY
FBI FOR DIRECTOR MUELLER
DOJ FOR CRIM AAG SWARTZ
DOJ/OPDAT FOR
ALEXANDRE/LEHMANN/JOHNSON
DOJ/ICITAP FOR TREVILLIAN/BARR
DOJ/OIA FOR ROBINSON/WARNER
DOJ/AFMLS FOR SAMUEL
FBI FOR AD FUENTES
MCC FOR AMBASSADOR DANILOVICH AND MORFORD
DEPT PASS USTR FOR AMBASSADOR SCHWAB
TREASURY FOR IA - BAUKOL
USAID FOR ANE/AA WARD
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KCRM KJUS KCOR
SNAR, PHUM, KPAO, ID
SUBJECT: ATTORNEY GENERAL MUKASEYQS VISIT TO
INDONESIA EXTENDS COOPERATION TO ANTI-
CORRUPTION EFFORTS
REF: A) JAKARTA 1098
B) JAKARTA 244
C) JAKARTA 1005
D) STATE 162620
E) 2007 JAKARTA 2378
F) JAKARTA 687
JAKARTA 00001173 001.2 OF 004
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On June 9, 2008, Attorney
General Mukasey visited Jakarta to meet with
Attorney General Supandji, Indonesian National
Police (INP) Chief Sutanto, and other
Indonesian officials. While issues of
terrorism remained high on the agenda, AG
Mukasey also focused on cooperation regarding
corruption, trafficking in persons, and asset
forfeiture, reflecting the growing breadth of
DOJ engagement in Indonesia. The visit was
highlighted by the signing of an agreement to
provide US support for the development of an
elite Anti-Corruption Task Force within the
AGO. DOJ assistance programs have led to
tangible gains to the laws, policies and
institutions involved in rule of reform, all of
which are essential to IndonesiaQs continued
democratic progress. End Summary.
Attorneys General Launch Anti-
Corruption Task Force
--------------------------------------
-------------
2. (SBU) AG Mukasey and the Ambassador met
with Indonesian AG Supandji on June 9. AG
MukaseyQs visit was the first visit by any
foreign attorney general to Jakarta since
Attorney General GonzalesQ trip in November
2006.
3. (SBU) During the visit, the Attorneys
General signed an agreement to support the
development of the Anti-Corruption Task Force
at the AGO. This task force will be
responsible for prosecuting high-level, complex
corruption cases and recovering assets stolen
through corruption. As part of the agreement
signed during the visit, DOJ/OPDAT will use
$750,000 in INL funds to support the task force
with equipment, expert support, and other
expenses. During their private meeting, AG
Supandji described how that the prosecutors
would be divided into specialized teams
focusing on five areas --banking, procurement,
IT, public services, and asset recovery -- and
noted the rigorous selection process of task
force prosecutors.
4. (SBU) The establishment of the Anti-
Corruption Task Force reflects a major change
in organizational thinking at the AGO (Ref A).
The AGO has traditionally taken an assembly
line approach to cases, dividing prosecutors
only into pre-prosecution, prosecution, and
execution of judgment units. By assigning
JAKARTA 00001173 002.2 OF 004
prosecutors to specific types of crimes for the
duration of the case, this new approach will
ensure greater case continuity, better
coordination with the police,and more
professional accountability in complex cases.
In addition, the competitive process for
selecting the task force members was
unprecedented. Deputy Attorney General for
Special Crimes (Corruption) Marwan Effendy
personally interviewed each candidate and
required each one to submit a personal wealth
statement as an added ethical precaution.
AGs Discuss Reform Process, Areas for
Partnership
--------------------------------------------- --
--
5. (SBU) AG Mukasey also discussed the
progress in combatting terrorism and
transnational crime, noting the recent lifting
of the State DepartmentQs Travel Warning to
Indonesia as a tangible sign of that progress.
They discussed the importance of criminal
procedure reform as an important step to
increasing police-prosecutor cooperation, which
would lead to greater success in the courtroom
(Ref B). AG Mukasey also commended the AGO on
its progress in combatting trafficking in
persons (TIP) (Ref C). AG Mukasey observed
that the U.S. remained interested in exploring
a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), noting
that the ability of Indonesia to compel the
production of evidence in response to a U.S.
request was critical (Ref D). Finally, AG
Supandji noted the need to build human capacity
within the AGO, specifically identifying the
area of asset tracing. AG Mukasey agreed, also
stressing the benefits of having a law
permitting civil asset forfeiture of illegal
proceeds (Ref E).
6. (SBU) AG Mukasey visited with the AGO
prosecutors of the Terrorism and Transnational
Crime Task Force, a DOJ/OPDAT-implemented, S/CT
and INL-funded unit of 22 prosecutors. The
task force has successfully prosecuted 43
Indonesian terrorists, including 26 Jamaah
Islamiyah members, as well as a number of
significant TIP and money laundering cases in
less than two years of operation (Ref G). Its
success in terrorism cases has been due in
large part to overcoming the lack of
coordination between prosecutors and the police
that typically exists in Indonesia.
7. (SBU) During a joint press conference, AG
Mukasey commented on the broadening areas of
cooperation between the U.S. and Indonesia. He
first noted the success of existing U.S.-
Indonesian cooperation in the area of
terrorism. He then highlighted the importance
of combating corruption and recovering stolen
JAKARTA 00001173 003.2 OF 004
assets, pledging the support of the U.S. in
assisting the new Anti-Corruption Task Force.
Finally, he recognized the valuable cooperation
between the U.S. and Indonesia on TIP. The
press conference received extensive and
positive coverage in the television and print
media.
AG Mukasey-Police Chief Sutanto Seek to Expand
Cooperation
--------------------------------------------- --
-----------
8. (SBU) AG Mukasey next met with Indonesian
National Police Chief Sutanto. General Sutanto
thanked AG Mukasey for DOJQs cooperation on
terorrism matters. AG Mukasey thanked Sutanto
for the Indonesian policeQs assistance in the
case involving Tamil Tigers arms dealer
Thavarajah Pratheepan. The two officials also
discussed the possibility of having INP
officers travel to the US to testify at
PratheepanQs trial in December. Sutanto
thanked the FBI for providing forensic
assistance in the case of poisoned human rights
activist Munir and for assistance in returning
corruption fugitive David Nusa Wajaya. He also
noted FBI assistance in the successful
investigation and prosecution of a group of
Papuan separatists responsible for the 2002
murders of two American school teachers in
Timika, Papua. Sutanto praised the work of
DOJ/ICITAP, with his staff noting its
contributions in the areas of TIP, money
laundering, and forensics. Sutanto identified
terrorism financing as an area where assistance
from the DOJ would be appreciated. DOJ/ICITAP
will launch an assistance project later this
year directed at upgrading the INPQs capacity
to combat terrorism financing. AG Mukasey
noted that FBI Director Mueller would be
visiting in July and would also be able to
provide assistance.
AG Mukasey Meets Legal Reform Leaders at
Reception
--------------------------------------------- --
---
9. (SBU) The Ambassador held a reception for
AG Mukasey to conclude his visit. AG Mukasey
had an opportunity to speak with the eighty-
five guests, which included a broad cross-
section of the Indonesian legal community,
including participants from the USG-funded SMU
Rule of Law program who had met with AG Mukasey
in Washington last month. AG Mukasey provided
encouragement to the head of the new criminal
procedure code drafting team, noting the
importance of this project. In his general
remarks, AG Mukasey reiterated both the
broadening and deepening of the law enforcement
partnership between the U.S. and Indonesia and
JAKARTA 00001173 004.2 OF 004
noted the largely peaceful progress Indonesia
has made toward democracy and the rule of law
over the past ten years.
HUME
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