Government may recruit private investigators

JAKARTA (JP): The government will likely recruit professional detectives to trace the Soehartos' alleged fortune overseas, a minister said.

Minister of Justice Muladi told Antara on Tuesday that Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and Administrative Reform Hartarto and the Military Police Corps were still choosing from 10 private detective companies, several in the United States, to handle the case.

"The government will determine which one of the 10 companies has the best track record and the selected one will be announced this week. It is of most importance that the government is committed to uncovering the money laundering. The selected company is expected to be able to carry out its mission in tracing Soeharto's family's alleged fortune," Muladi said after meeting with UN special envoy on East Timor, Jamsheed Marker.

Muladi also said the government would call on the Swiss and Austrian governments, through its envoys, to respond to Indonesia's request for help in tracing the Soehartos' alleged fortune, which news magazine Time reported to reach US$15 billion.

According to the weekly, that included $9 billion transferred into banks in the two countries.

Soeharto's lawyers have said they were considering to sue the magazine for reporting what they said was mostly false information.

On Tuesday legal experts said students could return to massive demonstrations if the government under President B.J. Habibie continued to stall on investigating allegations of corruption by top officials including by Soeharto.

At stake is the government's credibility and reputation, Bambang Widjojanto, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, and Hendardi who chairs the Indonesia Legal Aid and Human Rights Association, said.(rms)