Attorney General says he believes Soeharto's denial

Attorney General says he believes Soeharto's denial

JAKARTA (JP): Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib said on
Monday that he believed the public denial by ousted president
Soeharto against allegations that he had accumulated a fortune
worth trillions of rupiah (hundreds of millions of dollars)
during his 32 years in power.

"He is a former president. How come you don't believe a
statement from Soeharto?" Ghalib said, responding to questions on
Soeharto's speech broadcast by the private TPI television channel
on Sunday night.

"If it was someone else who had spoken (on the matter) I might
not have believed it," added Ghalib. His office is conducting an
investigation into corruption during Soeharto's regime, beginning
with foundations set up by the former president.

He was speaking at his office while his deputies were
questioning Soeharto's cousin Sudwikatmono over the use of state
credits injected into his banks that were closed for insolvency
by the government in November.

Soeharto said in his statement on the television channel
controlled by his eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti Rukmana: "The
fact is, I don't have even one cent of savings abroad, don't have
accounts in foreign banks... let alone hundreds of billions of
dollars."

Soeharto, referring to the growing clamor that he answer
allegations of amassing a fortune and stand trial if necessary,
also challenged anyone who claimed he was rich to present their
evidence.

American magazine Forbes estimated in July that Soeharto, 77,
who stepped down amid mounting public pressure on May 21, had a
fortune worth US$4 billion.

When asked whether he would summon the former president for
questioning, Ghalib said, thus far, there was no need to do so.
"The data in my files about (Soeharto's) foundations is enough so
far," Ghalib said.

His office was auditing the foundations and there were
currently enough sources that could be questioned without having
to summon Soeharto yet, he added.

A.A. Baramuli, the head of the Supreme Advisory Council also
said he believed Soeharto's denial.

"The confession of a former president who ran the country for
32 years is certainly not a lie. He must have a high sense of
moral responsibility to the people and God," Baramuli was quoted
by Antara as saying on Monday.

He, however, suggested that the public should ask Soeharto's
former aides to clarify whether the accusations were true or not.
He cited former minister of finance Mar'ie Muhammad, former
minister of trade Radius Prawiro, and economic advisors Widjojo
Nitisastro and Ali Wardhana.

Analysts and activists have urged the government to set up an
independent commission to investigate the allegations, given
Soeharto's "challenge" to provide evidence.

"The establishment of such a commission would help reduce
debate on Soeharto's wealth and prove that the government is
serious in carrying out its reform program," Arif Arryman from
the Econit Advisory Group was quoted by the news agency as saying
on Sunday.

Indonesian Corruption Watch, represented by Teten Masduki,
said in a statement on Monday, "The extraordinary session of the
People's Consultative Assembly in November must set up an
independent commission with the authority to summon anyone,
including Soeharto."

Former Jakarta governor Ali Sadikin and consumers' rights
activist Zoemrotin K. Soesilo are among others who have also
urged the government recently to form such a commission.

Ichlasul Amal, rector of Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta,
said on Monday in Yogyakarta that the government should take over
the charitable foundations -- Supersemar, Amal Bhakti Muslim
Pancasila, Dharmais, Dakab and Dana Sejahtera Mandiri -- headed
by Soeharto. Soeharto said on Sunday that he also did not have
any of his own money hidden in the foundations he chaired.

Golkar vice chairman Theo Sambuaga said Golkar wanted to be an
independent organization, which was why chairman Akbar Tandjung
had said it was longer demanding that Soeharto donate all Dakab
funds to the organization amounting to Rp 836.2-billion.

"We want to be an independent organization now, and we will
use our members and supporters as our funding sources," Theo, who
is also state minister of housing and settlements, said after
meeting President B.J. Habibie at the Bina Graha presidential
office. (byg/prb/23)