Ghalib denies start of Soeharto probe

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)