(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-18 13:58

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Attorney General's Office (AGO) has replaced two top prosecutors in connection with a high-profile bribery case that broke after a state prosecutor was caught with evidence in hand, local press reported Tuesday.

The AGO replaced deputy attorney general for special crimes Kemas Yahya Rahman and director of investigations M. Salim.

"We are replacing both Kemas and Salim as part of our efforts to restore the office's reputation," Attorney General Hendarman Supandji was quoted by English daily the Jakarta Post as saying.

The two have been questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) following the arrest of prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan, who was caught last month by graft body investigators allegedly accepting a 660,000 US dollars bribe from businesswoman Artalita Suryani.

The KPK has named Urip and Artalita suspects in the case and are detaining both to accelerate the investigation.

Investigators are seeking a connection between the bribery case and the decision by the Attorney General's Office to halt an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance (BLBI) funds by Sjamsul Nursalim and Anthony Salim.

Urip led the investigation into the two businessmen.

Hendarman has come under pressure to dismiss other prosecutors involved in the BLBI funds investigation following the arrest of Urip.