AGO holds authority on trial against Soeharto

AGO holds authority on trial against Soeharto

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Chief Justice Bagir Manan said on Friday that the Attorney
General's Office itself had to decide on its own whether it
wanted to continue with corruption proceedings against former
president Soeharto.

"The Attorney General's Office has the authority to issue an
order halting the investigation and stopping the proceedings. As
the prosecutorial institution, the office must make the
declaration by itself without seeking our legal opinion," Bagir
Manan told reporters at his office.

Bagir made the remarks in response to a letter sent by the
Attorney General's Office two weeks ago seeking the Supreme
Court's legal opinion on the matter in view of the fact that
Soeharto was permanently incapacitated and unable to stand trial.

Since Soeharto stepped down from the presidency in May 1998,
there have been constant public demands for him to be put on
trial for suspected corruption during his time in power. He has
been accused of stealing US$571 million from the state by
funneling money from seven charitable foundations that he chaired
into businesses belonging to his family and cohorts.

To date, a trial for Soeharto has never been able to get off
the ground due to his pleading ill health. Many, however, doubt
the statements made by the physicians.

During the last week of B.J. Habibie's presidency in October
1999, the Attorney General's Office even halted the
investigation, saying that no evidence of wrongdoing had been
found.

After being appointed Attorney General, Marzuki Darusman
announced in December 1999 that the investigation into Soeharto's
alleged graft was being reopened.

The South Jakarta District Court on Sept. 28 of last year,
however, decided to drop the case on the grounds that the
defendant was physically and mentally unfit to stand trial.

In February, the Supreme Court supported that decision by
lifting Soeharto's city arrest status and ordering the Attorney
General's Office to pay for the 80-year-old former dictator's
medical treatment.