Soeharto pushes on over 'Time' report<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto, who ruled the country
\nfor 32 years, filed a complaint against U.S.-based Time magazine
\nfor defamation and libel at National Police Headquarters on
\nWednesday morning.<\/p>\n
He said the magazine had not provided proof he had hidden
\nbillions of dollars abroad, as it alleged in its May 24, 1999,
\nAsian edition.<\/p>\n
"Time (so far) can't give supporting evidence that I
\ntransferred US$9 billion from a Swiss bank to an Austrian bank,"
\nSoeharto said after lodging his complaint with the police.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, who will turn 78 next Tuesday, said the untrue
\nreport insulted and slandered him.<\/p>\n
"(Therefore) I'm here to ask the police to investigate the
\ncase," Soeharto, who resigned his presidency in May last year,
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Soeharto also said he would file a lawsuit against Time in the
\nJakarta courts.<\/p>\n
Soeharto -- attired in a gray-and-black batik shirt and black
\npeci (cap) -- arrived at police headquarters at 7:25 a.m. in a
\ndark blue Mercedes Benz jeep accompanied by six lawyers and
\nseveral bodyguards.<\/p>\n
He smiled broadly and waved to reporters upon his arrival.<\/p>\n
He was received by National Police detectives chief Maj. Gen.
\nDa'i Bachtiar before meeting with Maj. Victor Simandjuntak.<\/p>\n
Soeharto submitted his complaint, along with copies of two
\nletters his lawyers sent to Time and the reply from the
\nmagazine's management, to Victor.<\/p>\n
Soeharto left police headquarters at 8:48 a.m., refusing to
\nanswer reporters' questions.<\/p>\n
One of Soeharto's lawyers, Juan Felix Tampubolon, later said
\nthe lawsuit would be lodged sometime next week at the Central
\nJakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
Juan, however, refused to disclose the amount of compensation
\nSoeharto was seeking.<\/p>\n
"It would be unethical if the amount was revealed now," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
However, Juan said if Soeharto won the lawsuit, the money
\nwould be handed over to the government to give to the Indonesian
\npeople.<\/p>\n
According to the head of the National Police detectives for
\ngeneral crime, Col. Makbul Padmanegara, his men would examine the
\ncomplaint to determine if there was enough evidence to warrant an
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
"Pak Harto is also an Indonesian citizen. He therefore
\ndeserves the protection of the law. That's why he was here and we
\nreceived his complaint and will study the case," Makbul said.<\/p>\n
In a cover story titled Suharto Inc., Time reported the former
\npresident and his family had amassed a fortune of some $15
\nbillion, including the $9 billion account at an Austrian bank.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice Muladi and Attorney General Andi Ghalib
\nwere sent to Switzerland and Austria by President B.J. Habibie to
\ninvestigate the Time report.<\/p>\n
Tommy's turn<\/p>\n
In a related development on Wednesday, staff members at the
\nAttorney General's Office questioned Soeharto's youngest son,
\nHutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, over the Time report.<\/p>\n
Tommy is the fourth of Soeharto's children to be summoned for
\nquestioning by Ghalib's office following the magazine's report.<\/p>\n
Like his father, Tommy, 36, also refused to talk to
\njournalists after the six-hour questioning.<\/p>\n
Attired in a brown silk batik shirt and pants, Tommy was
\nrushed by his bodyguards to his silver Timor sedan.<\/p>\n
"The reports made by Time about Tommy's wealth are all
\nincorrect, except for reports about Humpuss," Tommy's lawyer H.M.
\nDault said, referring to his client's widely diversified company.<\/p>\n
Time reported that Tommy possessed 60 percent of the
\nshareholding in the business group, which has more than 60
\nsubsidiaries in industries ranging from construction to
\npharmaceuticals.<\/p>\n
"If Tommy had a cruise ship, as reported by Time, I'll ask him
\nto bring it down here so that we can all cruise along with him,"
\nDault jokingly explained.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Soehandoyo said
\nlater that Tommy acknowledged several of the 16 questions asked
\nabout his wealth according to data in the international magazine.<\/p>\n
The weekly estimated Tommy's wealth was $800 million. Tommy
\ndenied the allegation, Soehandoyo said.<\/p>\n
"The amount of his wealth doesn't reach that figure due to the
\nrupiah's depreciation and his companies' debts to banks,"
\nSoehandoyo quoted Tommy as saying during the questioning.<\/p>\n
Tommy admitted to a 75 percent share in Mill Ride Golf Club
\nand its 22-room apartment in Ascot, England, but the investment
\nwas less than Rp 12 billion ($1.5 million).<\/p>\n
"Tommy also acknowledged that the three Boeing 747 airplanes
\n(which according to Time belonged to Tommy) are indeed owned by
\nPT Gatari Air Service (Tommy's firm).<\/p>\n
"The planes have already been sold to pay Gatari's debts to
\nthe Pacific Bank," Soehandoyo said.<\/p>\n
Tommy also acknowledged ownership of a ranch in New Zealand as
\nstated in the magazine's report. However, he said the value of
\nthe property was only Rp 7 billion ($875,000), not $4 million as
\nstated by Time, Soehandoyo added.<\/p>\n
Asked about possible measures to be taken by the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office concerning assets of Soeharto's children, such
\nas by seizing property, Soehandoyo said: "It's a process, and
\nit's still got a long way to go." (emf\/bsr)<\/p>",
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