Wiranto resigns after East Timor interrogation

The former Indonesian army chief, General Wiranto, has emerged from seven hours of questioning by state prosecutors to announce he's formally resigning from the government.

President Abudurrahman Wahid suspended General Wiranto from his Cabinet post as security minister in February, after a government inquiry found that he was ultimately responsible for the violence which followed last year's independence referendum in East Timor. The state prosecutors have been questioning a number of military leaders about the violence. General Wiranto denies blame and has criticised the United Nations for endorsing the referendum despite warnings that the province could erupt into violence.

He says he did all he could to prevent the conflict, including pushing for a peace pact and a ceasefire between pro-Indonesian militias and independence fighters. General Wiranto will be questioned again next week.

President Wahid has said he'll be pardoned if he's ultimately found guilty.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service