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)