Investigators still absent at Cendana, only flowers arrive

Investigators still absent at Cendana, only flowers arrive

JAKARTA (JP): As of Sunday there were no signs that the
Attorney General-led team investigating the wealth of former
president Soeharto had met him at his residence.

Soeharto's residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta was
quiet and "no entry" signs were posted at both ends of the
street, Antara reported.

As journalists on the street watched out for a possible visit
from Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib, a florist's vehicle
arrived to deliver bouquets of orchids and roses for Soeharto and
his eldest daughter, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, around 3:50 p.m.

"May you stay steadfast and strong," read the message on the
bouquets sent by the family of Taufik and Rini from Cibubur in
East Jakarta.

President B.J. Habibie assigned Ghalib to chair the team
investigating the former president's wealth last week. Government
officials have said that Soeharto would be questioned "as soon as
possible" at his residence, at whatever time the former president
set.

On Saturday, Kompas quoted Hardiyanti as saying that the
family was prepared for the investigation, but she appealed to
people not to make their own judgments.

"If we are not in the wrong, as citizens of this country we
have a right to legal protection," she said.

Last week, Minister of Justice Muladi said private parties
would be welcome to give any information they had on Soeharto's
wealth to the investigation team. He cited individuals "like
George Aditjondro", an Australia-based scholar who has conducted
extensive research into the Indonesian political elite's wealth,
including that of the former president.

Meanwhile in a discussion on corruption held on Friday,
observers said the creation of a democratic political system
along with the empowerment of civil society were key factors to
fighting rampant corruption in the country.

Former Cabinet minister Emil Salim said the overconcentration
of power without any control has provided a favorable environment
for corruption to flourish.

"A new political system based on free and honest elections is
a prerequisite to wipe out corruption," Emil, who leads the Civil
Society Movement (Gema Madani), said at the University of
Indonesia in Depok, West Java. Equally important are freedom of
association and a free press, he added.

The talks, jointly hosted by the university and Transparency
International (TI), among others also featured TI Australia chief
executive Peter Rooke and sociologist Sayed Hussein Alatas from
the National University of Malaysia.

Hussein Alatas stressed that apart from the rule of law, what
was important was "the rule of values." He also said the public
should be made to realize the importance of upholding the law.
The author of The Sociology of Corruption said people should
check the "morality" of ruling officials to determine whether
they really intended to eradicate corruption.

Peter Rooke cited an Asian Development Bank (ADB) directive
which quantifies the direct costs of corruption.

He said the ADB estimated that corruption could add between 20
percent and 100 percent to the cost of goods and services in
several Asian countries; it could cost governments as much as 50
percent of their tax revenues; and that losses due to corruption
could add up to more than a country's foreign debt.

Emil, an economist, also said that the market economy must be
allowed to function, adding that extensive regulations that
distorted its proper functioning must not be tolerated.

However, he said the most difficult and most important
endeavor was to stamp out corruption by preventing conflicts of
interest from arising.

He said most corrupt practices stemmed from a blurring of the
function and responsibility of state and society. He cited the
central bank, which in addition to its state duties holds large
investments in private banks. He also pointed to director-
generals of government departments who sit on the board of
directors of private sector companies and presidential appointees
to the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), whose job is to call
the president to account. (byg)