A $155 million question<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office announcement on Wednesday that
\nit had completed its investigation into former president Soeharto
\nover allegations of massive corruption during his 32 years in
\noffice came not only as something of an anticlimax. It was a
\ngross insult to people's intelligence and sense of justice.<\/p>\n
The case, as submitted to the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, was
\nrestricted to corruption allegedly made in Soeharto's capacity as
\nchairman of several multibillion dollar charitable foundations.
\nThe gist of the prosecution, as read by Attorney General Marzuki
\nDarusman, is that Soeharto abused his position as head of state
\nby channeling funds to the foundations. The prosecutor's office
\nwill soon file the case with a court in Jakarta, accusing
\nSoeharto of embezzling Rp 1.4 trillion, or approximately $155
\nmillion at this week's exchange rate.<\/p>\n
Considering the severe damage inflicted upon this country
\nthrough Soeharto's alleged abuse of power, of which corruption is
\nonly a small part, one cannot help but ask: Is that it?<\/p>\n
The investigation has been dogged by controversy from the
\nbeginning. Marzuki won plaudits when, only weeks after his
\nappointment, he reopened the Soeharto case in December after it
\nwas hastily concluded and dismissed by the previous
\nadministration of president B.J. Habibie. Then there were the
\nendless legal tugs-of-war between government prosecutors and
\nSoeharto's lawyers. First, over the legality of the
\ninvestigation, and later over the deteriorating health of the 79-
\nyear-old former ruler. Soeharto has certainly managed to stall
\nthe investigation, and therefore a trial, for as long as he can.<\/p>\n
Then, there was also the allegation, made by government
\nofficials, that the bloody sectarian conflict in Maluku was the
\nwork of Soeharto's supporters attempting to destabilize the
\ngovernment and, therefore, divert attention and resources away
\nfrom the investigation. While the government has not come up with
\nany evidence to prove its case, the accusation looked credible as
\nviolence erupted in Maluku each time the government clamped down
\non Soeharto in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
After all the hassles it has gone through in the last seven
\nmonths, the government has only managed to pin on Soeharto
\nsomething as trivial as the money that went to the charitable
\nfoundations. This certainly falls far short of public expectation
\nwhen evidence of corruption and other forms of alleged power
\nabuse is there for anyone to see and feel.<\/p>\n
The $155 million sum cited in the prosecution's dossier is
\nonly a fraction of what Soeharto and his children have amassed
\nduring his 32 years of misrule. Even with the revision of another
\n$416 million figure added to the dossier, it would still not
\nbring the sum anywhere near to the overall damage and the
\nsuffering that the tyrant has inflicted on the nation.<\/p>\n
The combined assets of the foundations alone are worth much
\nmore than that. Then there are the business empires of his
\nchildren. The foundations and empires grew in size solely because
\nof Soeharto's position, through securing lucrative government
\ncontracts, monopolies and other business privileges.<\/p>\n
Forbes, Time magazine and Australian-based scholar George
\nAditjondro have all estimated the net worth of the Soeharto clan
\n-- including his foundations and their empires and their property
\nabroad -- at anything between $15 billion and $45 billion.<\/p>\n
Are we to believe now that all these corruption practices
\nallegedly committed by Soeharto and his children will be reduced
\nby the government to a mere $155 million court case?<\/p>\n
Marzuki's announcement has only served to strengthen lingering
\nsuspicion that the government has been trying to cut a deal with
\nSoeharto and his children which will see him get off lightly.
\nThere were other indications before now that smacked of
\nconspiracy. There was the offer of a pardon by President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid even before the investigation was completed,
\nlet alone a credible court trial. And there were the secret
\nnegotiations between the government and the Soeharto family for
\nthe return of some of the ill-gotten wealth. While these
\nnegotiations have become public knowledge, and have apparently
\nbroken down, the public has been kept in the dark about what
\nexactly is being offered to the Soehartos in return.<\/p>\n
The credibility of the Abdurrahman administration hinges on
\nits ability to satisfactorily investigate Soeharto for his
\nalleged abuse of power. A successful investigation is seen as
\npart and parcel of the government's campaign to eradicate
\ncorruption and to restore the rule of law in this country. A
\nfailure would undoubtedly affect both campaigns.<\/p>\n
Marzuki raised people's hopes when he reopened the case in
\nDecember. But the final delivery now looks to become a major
\ndisappointment. For what it is worth, the issue will be a major
\nblot on the annual progress report that President Abdurrahman
\nwill present to the People's Consultative Assembly next month.<\/p>",
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