Government to announce decision on Soeharto case next month<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government will announce the results of an
\ninitial investigation into former president Soeharto in the first
\nweek of September, Minister of Justice Muladi said on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"I said it will be completed in the first week of
\nSeptember... meaning that there will be an explanation with
\nregards to the legal aspect and the extent of violations,\" Muladi
\ntold reporters at the House of Representatives. Muladi had
\nearlier this week said President B.J. Habibie was to make the
\nannouncement on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Muladi was also quoted by Antara as saying that the September
\nannouncement would be made by the offices of the attorney general
\nand the coordinating minister for development and administrative
\nreforms, rather than the President.<\/p>\n
\"The decision will be made based on legal procedures.
\nPresident B.J. Habibie will only announce the final decision,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"The attorney general will report the decision in a Cabinet
\nmeeting and the head of state will announce it after the decision
\nhas been deliberated upon in the meeting,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Muladi said the Attorney General's Office will handle the
\ncivil and criminal cases while the office of the coordinating
\nminister for development will look into questionable presidential
\ndecrees and other regulations made during the Soeharto
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"It is not President B.J. Habibie who will make the final
\ndecision on the investigation. He will only announce it as part
\nof his responsibility,\" Muladi said.<\/p>\n
Law experts are also involved in the investigation, he said,
\nand their recommendations will constitute the final decision.<\/p>\n
Muladi added the decision will state whether or not Soeharto
\nis going to be declared a suspect in a corruption case.<\/p>\n
The final decision will not be a political ploy, he promised.<\/p>\n
\"The case will be settled thoroughly before the General
\nSession of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR),\" said
\nMuladi.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, forced from office in May last year amid economic
\nand social chaos, has been accused of corruptly amassing a
\nfortune during his 32-year rule. He has consistently denied any
\nwrongdoing.<\/p>\n
Investigators have been accused of dragging their feet over
\nthe issue and opposition figures have expressed skepticism over
\nthe government's commitment to bringing Soeharto to account for
\nhis past misdeeds.<\/p>\n
Soeharto suffered a stroke in July and was again admitted to
\nhospital early in August for intestinal bleeding. He was
\ndischarged last week. Doctors said he was on the mend.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the state forestry firm Perhutani said it wanted the
\ngovernment to cancel eight land deals with companies linked to
\nthe family and cronies of Soeharto. Perhutani president A. Fattah
\nsaid his firm was \"either in the process of canceling or seeking
\nto cancel\" deals involving eight firms, including two owned by
\nSoeharto's second eldest son and a son-in-law.<\/p>\n
The deals, involving the move out of state hands of 11,481
\nhectares (28,358 acres) of forestry for commercial purposes, were
\n\"certainly obtained through nepotistic practices,\" alleged
\nFattah. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-to-announce-decision-on-soeharto-case-next-month-1447893297",
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