Indonesian officials discuss Soeharto in Switzerland

Indonesian officials discuss Soeharto in Switzerland

BERN (Agencies): Switzerland has renewed promises of help to
Indonesia over allegations that former President Soeharto stashed
ill-gotten assets abroad, the Swiss foreign ministry said on
Thursday.

At a meeting on Wednesday with his visiting Indonesian
counterpart Alwi Shihab, Swiss Foreign Minister Joseph Deiss
"promised help as soon as there is a request for legal
assistance" from Jakarta, ministry spokesman Livio Zanolari said
as quoted by AP.

"We haven't received anything yet, but my counterpart assured
me he will make sure the process moves forward," the Swiss
minister said.

During a visit here last year, Indonesian President
Abdurrahman Wahid said Jakarta would make a formal request for
legal assistance to the Swiss government but gave no details on
when it would be made and what offenses it would detail.

Those questions remain to be answered.

U.S. magazine Time claimed in May 1999 that Soeharto and his
six children had amassed a US$15 billion fortune, of which $9
billion were allegedly transferred from Switzerland to Austria
before the former president stepped down in May 1988.

Swiss officials have said they have no evidence whether
Soeharto had assets in Switzerland.

Alwi was in Switzerland to accompany Vice President Megawati
Sukarnoputri.

On Thursday the Vice President in Geneva met with the new
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers.

Megawati is on a 12-day foreign tour which began with her
visit for a minor pilgrimage to Mecca. After Switzerland she was
due to visit Bangladesh.

In Kuala Lumpur on Thursday the Malaysian foreign ministry
said she is also due to make a stop there before returning to
Indonesia.

AFP reported that the she is scheduled to arrive in Kuala
Lumpur on Sunday. It will be her first official trip to Malaysia
and is on the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi.

Megawati is also due to meet with Malaysian King Sultan
Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah and hold talks with Abdullah on
bilateral and international issues.

"The visit is to further strengthen ties with Malaysian
leaders and to enhance relations between the two countries," the
ministry said in a statement released on the official Bernama
news agency.