Freezing of Ibnu's assets demanded

JAKARTA: The Association of Jakartans for the Eradication of Corruption (Brantas) demanded on Sunday that the government freeze assets belonging to well-connected businessman Ibnu Hartomo due to his alleged involvement in the transaction of promissory notes abroad causing trillions of rupiah in state losses.

"The promissory notes were issued by members of former president Soeharto's family in 1985 when Ibnu was deputy chairman of the National Security and Defense Council (Wanhankamnas)," Secretary-General of Brantas Doni Ardyanto said.

"The current value of the notes amounts to Rp 50 trillion (US$4.6 billion), which includes interest," Doni said.

Ibnu Hartomo, younger brother of former Indonesian first lady the late Tien Soeharto, has been named a suspect in the 1998 case, but to date both police and prosecutors have not brought the case to court.

The Attorney General's Office promised on Thursday to investigate the scandal.

The issue concerning the promissory notes resurfaced after a member of the House of Representatives, Ali As'ad, from the National Awakening Party (PKB), urged the Attorney General's Office to investigate it.

Doni said that President Megawati Soekarnoputri must force the Attorney General's Office and the police to continue investigating the alleged involvement of Ibnu in such a large corruption case and detain him to stop him from fleeing. --Antara