Govt to trace 'Time' reports in Europe
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Muladi announced on Tuesday he would go to Switzerland and Austria with Attorney General A.M. Ghalib to investigate Time magazine's report on the transfer of US$9 billion in funds allegedly belonging to the Soeharto family from a bank in Switzerland to an Austrian bank.
Muladi, who is also minister/state secretary, said they would depart on Sunday and travel to Geneva and Vienna to meet their counterparts in the two countries. Muladi expressed confidence the two countries would cooperate with Indonesia in uncovering Soeharto's alleged wealth.
"We will ask the Austrian government (for their cooperation), and then meet with the minister of justice and attorney generals of Austria and Switzerland to find the truth about the money transfer," Muladi said after meeting with President B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace. He was accompanied by Ghalib at the meeting.
The visit will prove the President is very serious in investigating Soeharto's wealth and that the government will be able to settle the case soon after the general election, Muladi said.
The money, if recovered, would be enough to finance the government's budget so it could stop borrowing from foreign donors, Muladi noted.
"We would no longer need to borrow from the IMF (International Monetary Fund)," Muladi said.
Ghalib played down fears the two countries would refuse to help in the investigation unless criminal charges were filed against Soeharto, saying the power of attorney conferred by Soeharto was a strong legal base for the investigation.
The President will also send letters to the heads of government of the two countries asking their help in the inquiry.
"Before our departure, we will ask Pak Harto to grant me power of attorney, as he previously promised," Ghalib said.
In September, Soeharto submitted two unsigned letters authorizing the attorney general to transfer any funds held abroad in his name to the Indonesian government. The letters also authorized banks to reveal the details of any accounts in Soeharto's name.
"With the power of attorney, I am sure the banks will give us (information)," Ghalib said.
"I will ask the names of the banks, the amount of the deposit and when and who transferred the money," Ghalib said about what questions he will ask the two governments.
In its 14-page report, the New York-based Time magazine reported that $9 billion belonging to the Soeharto family was transferred from Switzerland to a nominee bank account in Austria not long after Soeharto resigned as president in May last year.
"The transfer caught the attention of the United States Treasury, which tracks such movements, and set in motion diplomatic inquiries in Vienna," the report said.
Stephen Vickers, the director of Kroll Associates, a firm which tracks assets, wrote in the magazine that a search for assets belonging to the Soehartos could last from one year to two years.
Ghalib said his office was more than capable of investigating Soeharto's alleged wealth.
He doubted Kroll would be able to trace Soeharto's alleged wealth despite its experience in tracking the assets of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, Haiti's Jean-Claude Duvalier and other former rulers.
"They (Kroll) cannot move if they do not have any data, just like us," Ghalib said.
The two Cabinet members were confident they would be able to verify the accuracy of the Time report during their four-day visit.
"If we fail, it is a matter of fortune. It is God's decision," Muladi said.
Skepticism
Two of Soeharto's eight-strong legal team, however, doubted the effectiveness of the mission, saying Switzerland and Austria would only help the government if it knew the name of the bank and Soeharto's account number.
Lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon said he appreciated the government's efforts, but emphasized that legally, power of attorney could only be given if the government could name the bank where Soeharto allegedly deposited the money and if they knew his bank account number.
"The name of the bank and the account number must be disclosed first. When Pak Harto came to the Attorney General's Office in September, he said he would sign the letters if the government knew the name of the bank and the account number," Tampubolon told The Jakarta Post.
Tampubolon again blasted Time for its refusal to provide evidence to support its report, and said he had sent a second warning letter to the magazine's lawyer, Todung Mulya Lubis.
Assegaf, another Soeharto lawyer, said Soeharto was ready to sign the letter of power of attorney as a reflection of his standing as a good citizen, but warned the letter alone would not be adequate for the government.
"A letter of power of attorney without evidence is just useless," Assegaf said.
Separately, Todung said his client would cooperate with the government, but would not present hard evidence, including news sources or other vital documents.
"Time cannot give hard evidence, it will be very difficult because it is tied by confidentiality," Todung said. (prb)