Attorney General plans to seize Soeharto's assets

Attorney General plans to seize Soeharto's assets

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office is planning to
block former president Soeharto's accounts and seize his
properties as a precautionary measure to safeguard the corruption
investigation of the ex-ruler.

A high-ranking official at the Attorney General's Office, who
asked for anonymity, confirmed with The Jakarta Post on Sunday
his office would soon take measures to secure Soeharto's
accounts.

"Whether they are Soeharto's private accounts or under the
charity foundations, we will block them," he said, adding that
only accounts suspected of being related to the corruption case
would be blocked.

"Not only that, will we confiscate his properties as well," he
said, but would not say whether his office had already conferred
with Bank Indonesia about this step.

The investigation of Soeharto intensified over the past week,
with the former president placed under city arrest and an
overseas travel ban imposed. A summons has also been issued to
question two of his children.

But the questioning of Soeharto was impeded when an
independent medical team from Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital
declared last week the 78-year-old ex-president unfit to face
further questioning, suggesting Soeharto undergo more
comprehensive medical tests.

Soeharto is suspected of misusing his power and authority as
president in issuing government regulations and decrees.

During a 1998 investigation, Soeharto disclosed that he had Rp
22 billion (some US$3 million) deposited in three private banks
-- BCA, BBD and BRI -- and that his personal properties included
two houses in Jakarta and five hectares of land, including the
family's grave site in Surakarta in Central Java. (01)