Ministry demands prosecution of tycoon Soedono Salim

Ministry demands prosecution of tycoon Soedono Salim

JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Forestry and Plantations has
called on the Attorney General's Office to prosecute the
country's number one tycoon, Soedono Salim, over alleged illegal
land appropriation.

Soeripto, the ministry's secretary-general, said on Friday
that the ministry had reported to the Attorney General's Office
the violations allegedly committed by Salim in appropriating land
in Riau province, including on Bintan island, during the era of
former president Soeharto.

"Now there are seven prosecutors at the Ministry of Forestry
and Plantations (to follow up on the report)," Soeripto was
quoted by Antara as saying in the provincial capital of
Pekanbaru.

He said Soedono, also known as Liem Sioe Liong, had controlled
land in the province due to his closeness to Soeharto.

The companies that control the land now face problems with the
local residents who demand rights to the land, he said.

"We are now concentrating on Liem Sioe Liong's cases,"
Soeripto said.

However, he did not provide details on the land controlled by
the Salim Group in the province.

Salim, who was billed as one of the world's richest men for
many years prior to the economic crisis, had prominence in the
country's business sector for several decades during Soeharto's
era.

His multibillion-dollar business empire ranged from Bank
Central Asia (BCA), the country's largest bank in the banking
sector, to food producer PT Indofood Sukses Makmur and giant
cement manufacturer PT Indocement.

The group expanded its business to many countries in the
region, including mainland China, through Hong Kong-based First
Pacific Group, Singapore-based Kabila Mandiri Persada and the
Dutch firm Hagemeyer NV.

Overseas Chinese Business Networks in Asia, published by the
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1995, said
Salim controlled 7,000 hectares of land around Jakarta, the 500-
hectare site of Batam Industrial Park on Batam island, Riau, and
the 4,000-hectare site of Bintan Industrial Estate on Bintan
island, also in Riau.

The book says the Batam Industrial Park is a joint venture
between the Salim Group and Singapore government-linked Jurong
Environmental Engineering Pte Ltd. and government-linked
Singapore Technologies.

The Bintan Industrial Complex is owned by Salim together with
Jurong and government-linked Singapore Technologies Industrial
Corporation, the book says.

According to the book, Salim, through Kabila Mandiri Persada,
also controls Bulan island, also in Riau, where he established a
pig farm operation to cater to pork consumers in Singapore.