President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was shocked to read articles alleging his abuse of power as published not only by the Australian newspaper The Age, but also The Sydney Morning Herald, on Friday, a presidential spokesman said.
"The President was really shocked about the reports,” Julian Aldrin Pasha told tempointeraktif.com
Julian said that upon learning about the articles he immediately sent copies of the reports to Yudhoyono.
The reports were based on data from WikiLeaks, which quoted US diplomatic sources in Indonesia.
Based on data from leaked diplomatic cables, the reports said Yudhoyono had personally intervened to influence prosecutors and judges to protect corrupt political figures and put pressures on his adversaries.
In December 2004, for example, Yudhoyono allegedly ordered then deputy attorney general for special crimes Hendarman Supandji to stop investigating a corruption case involving the husband of former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Taufik Kiemas.
The newspapers also allege that Yudhoyono ordered former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir Siregar to spy on then law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra when he made a secret trip to Singapore to meet a Chinese businessman.
