Habibie sets up team to probe Soeharto's wealth
Habibie sets up team to probe Soeharto's wealth
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie ordered on Tuesday a
special team to "directly examine" former president Soeharto over
his recent statement that he did not have "a single cent" of
savings overseas, as widely alleged.
Supreme Advisory Council chairman A.A. Baramuli described the
President's decision as strong evidence of his commitment to
disprove public accusations that Habibie did not have the guts to
investigate wrongdoings allegedly committed by Soeharto, who was
Habibie's political mentor, during his 32-year tenure.
"So if people say that President Habibie is too scared to
investigate (Soeharto), it is not true. He will prove it this
week, you will also witness it," Bramuli told journalists after
meeting with Habibie at Merdeka Palace.
According to Baramuli, the team will probe not only Soeharto,
but also his six children and cronies and Habibie will not
hesitate to take legal action against them if there is strong
evidence of possible crimes.
"Former president Soeharto has declared that he is clean, but
we will question him (to confirm it)," Baramuli noted.
In a statement broadcast by his own daughter's TPI television
station early this month, Soeharto swore that he did not have any
deposits abroad.
He even challenged people to prove their allegations that he
had a personal fortune worth trillions of rupiah both overseas
and in the country.
Many people were outraged when Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib
then suggested that the public should trust the President's
honesty, saying that "he was telling the truth because he is a
former president".
"Soeharto had to step down in May precisely because he was no
longer trusted by the people," said protesting students.
The Attorney General's Office is still conducting legal and
financial audits of Soeharto's four charitable foundations whose
total assets are worth more than Rp 3.7 trillion (US$300
million).
Ghalib said early this month that his office had found strong
indications of mismanagement in one of the foundations.
Baramuli said on Tuesday that the team to investigate Soeharto
would likely comprise senior officials from the Attorney
General's Office or the National Police headquarters.
"Soeharto has become an ordinary citizen so he can be
questioned anywhere... but of course not on the streets," he
noted.
Soeharto's second son Bambang Trihatmodjo complained last week
that people had unfairly targeted practices of corruption,
collusion and nepotism by his father's administration. He alleged
that the current cabinet was not at all free from such practices.
"(If Bambang said that) it's his own business, but what
President Habibie means is that any (corruption, collusive and
nepotistic) practices will be investigated," Baramuli said when
asked about Bambang's statement. (prb)