Ghalib denies start of Soeharto probe
JAKARTA (JP): Despite mounting public pressure, Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib admitted on Tuesday his team had yet to launch an investigation into Soeharto's personal wealth, allegedly amassed illegally over his 32 years in power.
Ghalib said the one-hour visit he made to Soeharto's residence on Monday night was only a "detailed examination and clarification" of the former president's recent televised statement that he did not have a single cent of savings abroad.
"It was not an investigation because up till now we have no evidence or data which points to Soeharto as a suspect. The meeting was just to explain and clarify his statement that he has no accounts, deposits or shares abroad," Ghalib told a packed media conference at his office in South Jakarta.
Ghalib -- entrusted with leading the investigation into the allegedly illegal wealth of Soeharto -- made the visit to Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta with Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State Administrative Reforms Hartarto Sastrosoenarto.
According to Hartarto, Soeharto told them both in the meeting that he had no money, stocks or valuable papers abroad and had never held any offshore bank accounts.
Despite the repeated denials, however, the investigation will continue, Hartarto said.
"The Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia will continue the investigation into the wealth of Bapak Haji Soeharto," Hartarto said.
Soeharto, 77, told the team he would facilitate the investigators "if there is any evidence from anyone that shows he has accounts abroad," Hartarto added.
He added that Soeharto again challenged anyone with corroborating evidence to report the banks to the Attorney General's Office, and he would authorize that particular financial institution to release details of the accounts.
"A letter of authorization will be drawn up for the attorney general to transfer the existing funds to the Indonesian government, as those funds would not belong to Soeharto," Soeharto promised, according to Hartarto.
Legal action
The former veteran ruler, according to Hartarto, claimed he would take "legal action" against anyone found to have, without his knowledge, put money into any account bearing his name.
Hartarto also quoted Soeharto as threatening to take legal action against anyone who made false allegations against him.
Neither Hartarto nor Ghalib elaborated on where the government probe would go from here, saying only they were awaiting information from the public.
Hartarto added Soeharto would soon file a report of his 1998 financial position to his successor President B.J. Habibie.
When pressed whether the Attorney General's Office was really capable of investigating Soeharto or if it needed assistance from international private investigators, Ghalib said: "I believe that so far (my) office has not experienced any difficulty in investigating (Soeharto's wealth)".
At Merdeka Palace, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung said Hartarto and Ghalib met with President B.J. Habibie immediately after the Monday-night talks with Soeharto.
"The President (Habibie) was very satisfied with Soeharto's responses," Akbar told reporters without elaborating.
Soeharto is alleged to have amassed a fortune during his 32- year rule which ended abruptly on May 21, when he resigned amid student protests and the country's economic crisis.
Forbes magazine in the United States estimated in July that Soeharto'a fortune was worth US$4 billion, but legal experts have said that although the amount may be even more than that, decrees introduced by Soeharto during his rule may make it difficult to prove that the money was acquired illegally.
Habibie last week approved the formation of a team, led by Ghalib and helped by the police and the Development and Finance Comptroller, to question Soeharto in person.
Lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis said on the private SCTV television channel on Tuesday that the team members seemed to be very reluctant to investigate Soeharto as they were part of the bureaucracy.
"Without any prejudice against the Attorney General's Office, it'd be better if the investigation were conducted by independent bodies," said Todung, who chairs the ethics board at Indonesian Corruption Watch. (byg/prb/23/45/har)