Marzuki to seek info on Soeharto from 'Time'

Marzuki to seek info on Soeharto from 'Time'

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office intends to seek
firsthand information from Time magazine regarding former
President Soeharto's assets and properties abroad, to be used as
part of its investigation of the former ruler.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman told reporters here on
Saturday that his office will contact Time this week.

"We don't have the official data of the exact value of the
assets yet. But we've already started to collect several pieces
of information from foreign parties to find out about the
description of the assets," he said on the sidelines of a seminar
at Gadjah Mada University's Magister Management Program.

Time reported in its May 24, 1999, edition that Soeharto and
his family had amassed a fortune of around $15 billion, including
$9 billion said to be stashed in an Austrian bank account.

Soeharto then filed a defamation suit. But the Central Jakarta
District Court last week threw out the case.

The Attorney General's Office has named Soeharto as a suspect
and he is being investigated for abuse of power by issuing
regulations and decrees to amass wealth through his foundations
while in power.

Soeharto's house-arrest status was extended last week.

Without elaborating, Marzuki claimed on Saturday that
Soeharto's properties were located, at least, in the United
States, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Marzuki also said that his office has confiscated documents
relating to activities of Soeharto's foundations, although the
foundations' assets have yet to be seized.

"We just don't want to interrupt the foundations' daily
activities as there are certain people who still receive charity
from the foundations," he said.

Marzuki also promised that his office would finish Soeharto's
case by August.

"But it doesn't have anything to do with the annual session of
the People's Consultative Assembly, which will be conducted in
August," he added.

Separately on Saturday, former minister of justice Muladi
reminisced about his time as a Cabinet minister under Soeharto.

Muladi admitted that he only met Soeharto once during his
brief tenure under him.

"It's not easy for people to meet him, even a minister," said
Muladi after speaking at a law seminar in Medan, North Sumatra.

Muladi served as minister of justice in Soeharto's last
Cabinet which survived only 70 days before Soeharto stepped down
in May 1998.

Serving under Soeharto's successor, B.J. Habibie, Muladi, as
minister of justice, was assigned to lead a failed government
investigation team to Austria and Switzerland in June last year
to seek Soeharto's assets.

Speaking of his one and only private meeting with Soeharto,
Muladi said that it was brief. He reported to the then president
of the kidnapping of student activists and plans to abolish the
subversion law.

"During such a meeting with him, we can't take too much of his
time. He has the habit of looking at his watch after offering us
a drink," he said.

That meant, according to Muladi, that it was time for the
guest to seek permission to leave the room immediately.

"That also went for Cabinet meetings. After reading an opening
speech and asking for comments from several ministers, like the
economy or finance minister, he would leave the room
immediately," he said. (44/09)