Soeharto giggles away Amien's allegations of corruption<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Soeharto burst into laughter when Amien Rais
\nsaid in a televised debate on Friday the former president tried
\nto arrest him a few months before the May 21 transfer of power to
\nthen vice president B.J. Habibie, informed sources said on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also giggled when Amien told Attorney General Lt.
\nGen. A.M. Ghalib during the debate, broadcast live by private TV
\nstation SCTV, that an international magazine would soon carry a
\nreport detailing the results of its investigation into Soeharto
\nand his family's coffers.<\/p>\n
\"He burst into laughter when Amien talked about his arrest and
\nabout Pak Harto's cronies. Bapak said Amien's story was totally
\nbaseless,\" a source said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Soeharto watched the debate and asked his aides to record it.
\nThe debate itself was attended by a number of Soeharto's lawyers,
\nincluding Juan Felix Tampubolon.<\/p>\n
Forum Keadilan weekly and the Jakarta Lawyers Club jointly
\norganized the debate between Amien and Ghalib after the two had
\ntraded accusations through the media for weeks.<\/p>\n
Amien said President B.J. Habibie's government should give
\nconcrete evidence of its seriousness in investigating Soeharto,
\nwho Amien called \"Mr. Soeharto\" during the debate.<\/p>\n
Amien claimed Soeharto ordered then attorney general Singgih
\nto engineer a subversion charge against him and arrest him
\nbecause of his criticism of Soeharto and his demand that he
\nresign. Amien said Singgih did not comply with the order.<\/p>\n
Amien also said a worldwide news magazine would publish a list
\nof Soeharto's riches in several countries, including Austria.<\/p>\n
\"Amien is really a professor of making up stories,\" the
\nsource, who has known Soeharto for some 20 years, quoted Soeharto
\nas saying.<\/p>\n
There were few politicians who dared to attack Soeharto when
\nhe was in power, and Amien was one of them.<\/p>\n
\"Now everyone feels it is an obligation to denounce Soeharto,
\neven senior government officials who regarded every one of
\nBapak's word as the truth when he was still president,\" the
\nsource said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, who resigned on May 21 last year following
\nnationwide protests and violence, now spends most of his time
\nreading newspapers and watching the news on TV. He complains that
\nhe is depicted as a pariah in most of the news coverage.<\/p>\n
Soeharto is especially concerned by the coverage given him by
\nTV stations, some of which are owned or linked to his children.
\nSCTV was founded by Peter Gontha, who is a business ally of
\nSoeharto's son Bambang Trihatmodjo. RCTI is partly owned by
\nBambang, while TPI is owned by his daughter Siti Hardijanti
\nRukmana.<\/p>\n
\"The owners have practically lost control over (their
\ntelevision stations),\" a source said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto is also saddened by the ongoing violence and riots
\nthroughout the country and the prolonged economic crisis. He also
\ncriticized the abuse of the social safety net fund by government
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
\"He is very concerned but he does not have the money to help
\nthe poor,\" the source said.<\/p>\n
The retired five-star general also spends his time performing
\nhis religious services at home, including fasting on Monday,
\nTuesday and Thursday. He also often receives Muslim preachers
\nfrom various provinces.<\/p>\n
He rarely leaves home except to play golf with Bambang or
\neldest son Sigit Harjojudanto, usually at Sentul golf course in
\nSentul, West Java. When he was president, he played golf almost
\nexclusively in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, with close confidant
\nMuhammad \"Bob\" Hasan.<\/p>\n
\"But now they rarely meet in order to avoid a public uproar,\"
\nanother source said.<\/p>\n
The sources hinted that Soeharto was very healthy. (prb)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soeharto-giggles-away-amiens-allegations-of-corruption-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }