JAKARTA, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Tuesday urged the attorney general to quickly handle major outstanding court cases, including graft cases.
Yudhoyono, who visited Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh in his office, asked him for periodic reports on the status of major cases, such as the embezzlement of $185 million at the state-run Bank Negara Indonesia.
"I fully trust you to deal with such cases completely, and you have to trust me as well," Yudhoyono told Rahman. He reminded him that the Attorney General's Office should be able to meet the public demand for a clean government.
Last week the president told his Cabinet ministers to use "shock therapy" in handling corruption cases. He also urged all appointed ministers to sign anti-corruption pacts.
Corruption, considered one of the largest obstacles to boosting much-needed foreign investment, is widespread throughout Indonesia. Global watchdog Transparency International last week named the country as one of the world's most corrupt.
Yudhoyono pointed out that foreign investors complain about illegal levies imposed by government officials from "desk to desk" and from "door to door."
"Because of these illegal levies, many foreign investors find it difficult to invest in Indonesia," the president said.
