Bambang denies misusing funds<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Bambang Trihatmodjo, the second son of former
\npresident Soeharto, denied on Tuesday allegations that charity
\nfunds controlled by his father had been diverted into business
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
Bambang denied that there had been any movement at all when
\nasked whether assets or funds of the Dana Sejahtera Mandiri
\nfoundation, of which he was treasurer, had gone to business
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
He was questioned for almost three hours at the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office where he was accompanied by three lawyers
\nincluding Juan Felix Tampubolon and Indriyanto Senoaji, who also
\nrepresents Soeharto.<\/p>\n
\"I came to answer the summons from the Attorney General's
\nOffice in order to give information about my job as treasurer of
\nthe Dana Sejahtera Mandiri foundation,\" Bambang said.<\/p>\n
\"The funds were only for social interests, for public welfare
\nand the foster parents program,\" Bambang added.<\/p>\n
In September, Coordinating Minister for Development
\nSupervision and State Administrative Reform Hartarto said the
\nAttorney General's Office had found what he called signs of abuse
\nof funds in the five largest of Soeharto's charitable foundations
\nincluding Mandiri.<\/p>\n
He said there was evidence the funds had not been used
\naccording to the foundations' charters.<\/p>\n
Barman Zahir, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office,
\nsaid Bambang told investigators on Tuesday that none of Mandiri's
\nfunds were used for business and that they were channeled only to
\npeople's welfare programs in the form of grants or loans and for
\na foster parents program.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib said last week that evidence
\nof criminal corruption would be needed to put Soeharto on
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, who in November handed over Mandiri and six other
\ncharity foundations, worth some four trillion rupiah (US$ 530
\nmillion), to the government, is being investigated over
\nallegations of corruption during his 32 years in power.<\/p>\n
The veteran leader was summoned this month to be questioned
\nover his charity foundations, his controversial national car
\nprogram, his bank deposits, land and other assets.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office however has not declared
\nSoeharto a suspect as he says further checks on other former
\nofficials and relatives were needed.<\/p>\n
Legal experts, however, said there was enough evidence of ill-
\ngotten wealth to bring him to court.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office has summoned numerous figures
\nincluding former finance minister Mar'ie Muhammad, former
\nindustry and trade minister Tungky Ariwibowo and timber tycoon
\nMuhammad \"Bob\" Hasan.<\/p>\n
The government has slapped a travel ban on Bambang in
\nconnection with the investigation into his troubled bank.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office had earlier estimated Soeharto-
\nchaired foundations worth over four trillion rupiah (US$ 532
\nmillion).<\/p>\n
Though the office has yet to find evidence of Soeharto's
\npersonal use of the funds, Ghalib told the House of
\nRepresentatives earlier this month that some practices, such as
\nchanneling the foundation's funds into businesses through the use
\nof presidential decrees and various other government decrees,
\nfailed to reflect the people's sense of justice and had violated
\nthe principle of good governance.<\/p>\n
\"On the basis of facts and data, a large proportion of the
\nfoundations' funds were used by third parties close to Soeharto,\"
\nhe said then.<\/p>\n
While these practices were beyond judicial bounds, as no laws
\nregulated the issue, Ghalib described the practices as
\ninappropriate. (byg)<\/p>",
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