Assets of Hendra Rahardja sought

JAKARTA: The government filed a petition with an Australian court last week to claim the assets of wanted Indonesian banking and business magnate Hendra Rahardja who died in January in the country, a Cabinet minister said.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Tuesday that the government had asked the Australian government to locate and freeze Hendra's assets there.

"We appeal to the court to pursue his assets as he had been convicted here for corruption and he kept his wealth there," he told reporters at his office, saying that the government did not file a civilian lawsuit against Hendra as it would take longer.

Hendra was sentenced to life in prison in absentia last March for corruption involving Rp 1.95 trillion (US$216.7million) in taxpayers' money distributed to two of his banks under the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) program during the economic crisis in the late 1990s.

The tycoon, as well as son Eko Edi Putranto and subordinate Sherny Kojongian, fled the country in 1997 to Australia.

The Australian government had offered Jakarta some US$120 million of Hendra's assets held in Australia following his death. -- JP