Govt urged to trace Soeharto's assets

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The deteriorating health of former president Soeharto should not become an excuse for the authorities to exonerate the 80-year-old ex-general from corruption charges.

His health condition should, instead, encourage them to bolster their efforts to trace Soeharto's enormous wealth and return it to the people.

Critic Arbi Sanit hoped that, in tracing Soeharto's assets, the authorities would differentiate between the wealth the former president had allegedly accumulated illegally during his 32-year tenure and that of his family members.

"This has become the duty of our legal authorities. They have to be smart in carrying out the task," Arbi told The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.

Sudirman Said, chairman of the Indonesian Society for Transparency (MTI), however, doubted this move, suggesting that the government sit together with Soeharto's family to negotiate a deal on a portion of the assets.

"That would be the most reasonable solution. We can't expect both justice and the assets. The current situation has prompted us to choose one or the other," Sudirman told the Post.

Soeharto was rushed to Pertamina hospital in South Jakarta on Monday due to his worsening health condition. Later on Tuesday, his team of doctors revealed that the former autocrat was suffering from pneumonia. He remains in a critical state and is currently under intensive care at the hospital.

Following his ouster on May 21, 1998, Soeharto was charged with corruption. However, he has never appeared in court, ostensibly due to his decreasing health.

Arbi also said that medical staff should not make any statements implying that Soeharto's condition could not improve.

Taking the example of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, who had been declared unhealthy, Arbi said that Pinochet's health later improved and he was able to stand trial.

"Even if Soeharto dies, his illegitimate fortune must be confiscated after an in-absentia trial," said Arbi.

In its April 1999 cover story, Time magazine reported that Soeharto's family had stashed away some US$15 billion, presumably amassed during his 32 years in power.

The money, the report said, had been invested in real estate and other assets in several countries, from the United Kingdom to New Zealand.

The article resulted in a lawsuit between Soeharto and Time, which was later won by the magazine.

Veteran politician Sabam Sirait also expressed his pessimism, saying it was too late for the authorities to trace Soeharto's fortune.

"We don't know what to do. Soeharto's wealth may have been transferred to other people's accounts. That's why Soeharto could have honestly declared that he did not have a single cent to his name," Sabam said.

According to him, the government ought to follow in the footsteps of Philippines former president Corazon Aquino, who quickly froze the assets of dictator Ferdinand Marcos soon after she assumed the presidency.

Arbi added that if the authorities failed to trace Soeharto's assets, the government should consider the possibility of hiring foreign experts for that task.

Likewise, Sudirman doubted the accuracy of the data published in Time magazine. He said that such data could not be used as evidence in any legal process.

"There would need to be an audit, financial confirmation and corroborating evidence before any data could be used in court. Unfortunately, we do not have the relevant and precise data necessary for this," he added.