Lawyers call for halt of Soeharto probe

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers for former president Soeharto on Thursday demanded at the Attorney General's Office that the inquiry into the veteran former ruler be stopped while hundreds of pro-Soeharto protesters demonstrated outside.

Lawyers Muhammad Assegaf, Denny Kailimang, Syamsul Hadi, Juan Felix Tampubolon, Indriyanto Seno Adji, Victor Sulaiman Siregar and Aibrah Said delivered a "Letter of Legal Opinion" to demand that Attorney General A.M. Ghalib halt the investigation into alleged massive corruption and abuse of power by their client.

"It has turned out after three months of investigation that the office has found no evidence and taken no legal measures relating to the Soeharto investigation," the letter said.

Assegaf insisted the purpose of the letter was to determine the legal status of the 77-year-old former leader, reputed by the U.S.-published Forbes magazine last year to be worth US$ 4 billion.

"We are certain there is no strong reason to pursue this case as one of criminal corruption, because none of the facts allude to the crime of corruption," he said.

Some 500 youths describing themselves as Soeharto loyalists protested in the street outside, demanding that the attorney general produce results or clear Soeharto.

"We are asking him to stop the investigation and immediately announce the results and restore Soeharto's good name if there is no evidence of violation of the law," a joint press release from three protesting groups said.

A number of protesters said that they had been paid Rp 15,000 (US$1.6) to stage the protest.

On Tuesday, House of Representatives' Commission I for security and defense, foreign affairs, information and legal affairs pressed Attorney General A.M. Ghalib for three hours to speed up the probe by making Soeharto a suspect in the alleged corruption case, instead of only a witness.

Soeharto, who has repudiated reports that he amassed a fortune during his 32 years in power, stepped down last May 21 amid mounting public pressure.

Ghalib, a three-star general, heads a team set up by President B.J. Habibie to investigate Soeharto's wealth, but critics say the inquiry has already stalled and have questioned Habibie's seriousness in investigating his former mentor. (byg/01)