Court approval anticipated for seizure of Soeharto's assets

Court approval anticipated for seizure of Soeharto's assets

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office is awaiting
approval from the South Jakarta District Court to seize assets
belonging to former president Soeharto as evidence of his alleged
graft.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said on Monday his office
had asked for the court's approval a week ago. He said the assets
were located in South Jakarta.

"We have sent a member of the state prosecutors team dealing
with Soeharto's case today to check whether the court has given
its approval or not. But we haven't heard of it up to now," he
said at his office on Monday afternoon.

Spokesman for the office Yushar Yahya said the assets being
sought were any which belonged to Soeharto and his charitable
foundations.

"Both documents and properties suspected of being related to
the corruption cases will be seized," he told a media briefing
earlier in the day.

The investigation into Soeharto's alleged corruption has
intensified over the past few weeks, with the former president
placed under city arrest and a travel ban. Two of his children
have also been questioned as witnesses in connection with the
management of their father's tax-free charitable foundations.

Soeharto is suspected of abusing his power and authority as
president when issuing government regulations and decrees to
amass funds for seven foundations he set up and chaired.

But the questioning of Soeharto was impeded when the state-
appointed medical team from Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital
declared last week the 78-year-old man unfit to face further
questioning. The doctors suggested that Soeharto undergo more
comprehensive medical tests.

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
comprised two houses in Jakarta and five hectares of land,
including the family's grave site in Surakarta in Central Java.

A high-ranking official at the Attorney General's Office, who
requested anonymity, said the seizure would affect Soeharto's
other assets situated elsewhere in the country.

"We were doing this step-by-step," he added. (01)