Chicken for Ghalib over Soeharto probe

Chicken for Ghalib over Soeharto probe

JAKARTA (JP): Disappointed and angry students on Tuesday
presented a black chicken to Attorney General Lt. Gen. Muhammad
Ghalib when he persistently refused to set a deadline for the
investigation into former president Soeharto's wealth.

"I don't want to precede God (by promising), because this
process is quite complex," Ghalib told a group of 20 students
from Trisakti University and the Communication Forum for Jakarta
Student Senates (FKSMJ), at his office. The students had managed
to enter the building and voice demands that Soeharto be tried
for alleged abuses of power and amassing an illegal fortune.

"Do not abuse the name of God Pak," a student shouted.

Outside the Attorney General's office, about 1,000 chanting
students waited for the results of the negotiations.

At least 300 students remained until late evening on the
compounds but around 10:30 p.m. security people were seen trying
to evacuate them.

Ghalib dismissed their allegations that he had done nothing to
pursue the matter since he became Attorney General in June
because he did not have the nerve to enforce the law.

He claimed that over the past five months he had resolved 600
percent more corruption cases than were resolved all of last
year. Ghalib replaced Soedjono C. Atmonegoro on June 15, almost
three weeks after President B.J. Habibie established his cabinet
following Soeharto's resignation on May 21.

In their statement read out by a student, Dandy, the students
said Soeharto should be tried for committing political, economic
and legal crimes during his rule. They also insisted that Habibie
and Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto were legally responsible
for the Black Friday tragedy on Nov. 13, when protesting students
clashed with security personnel, ending in the deaths of a number
of students.

"The probe over his (Soeharto's) riches must be completed
within one month, at the most," said Dandy.

Upon realizing that they would not be able to persuade Ghalib
to agree to the deadline, some female students approached Ghalib
and handed a chicken to the Attorney General. Ghalib's assistant
grabbed the chicken from his hand.

"You are just a chicken and not a tiger," read a poster the
student's waved as they left the shocked three-star general.

"I have worked day and night so why don't you trust me?"
Ghalib complained.

Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung has said that Ghalib's
office was only able to find Rp 21 billion (US$2.7 million) in
Soeharto's domestic bank accounts. Some parties, including Forbes
magazine, have estimated Soeharto's fortune at $4 billion.

Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Anton Sujata said
on Tuesday his office had found that Soeharto owns three hectares
of land in Yogyakarta, controls hundreds of thousand of hectares
of forest concession rights in East Kalimantan and has stakes in
several private firms. "All of them in his own name," said Anton.

Head of ABRI's Legal Affairs Maj. Gen. Timor Manurung said
that Soeharto has not asked for legal representation from the
department, although as a retired general he has the right to it.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Hutomo Mandala Putra, Soeharto's
youngest son, underwent questioning at the Attorney General's
Office for a second straight day in connection with a
multimillion dollar land scam, Antara news agency reported.

Hutomo, known as Tommy, arrived at the office at 8:10 a.m.,
just before the building was besieged by student demonstrators.

The questioning ended two hours later, the news agency said.

Barman Zahir, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office,
said that a travel ban has been imposed on Tommy, as well as
Beddu Amang, former chief of the National Logistics Agency
(Bulog), and another businessman, Ricardo Gelael.

Tommy was questioned over the sale of Bulog's property in
Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, to PT Goro Batara Sakti, a giant
supermarket chain in which he and Gelael owned some shares.

Bulog was estimated to have lost Rp 52.5 billion ($7 million)
in the deal. Anton Sujata said on Monday that Amang and Gelael
have been declared suspects.

Gelael and Tommy owned 40 percent of the shares in Goro, while
the rest belonged to cooperatives. (edt/rms/prb)