Prabowo still an Indonesian citizen: Hasyim
JAKARTA (JP): Businessman Hashim Djojohadikusumo confirmed on Tuesday that Jordanian citizenship had been granted to his elder brother Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, but said the latter would not relinquish his Indonesian citizenship.
Hashim told reporters that honorary citizenship had been awarded to the former Army's Special Force (Kopassus) chief in appreciation of his success in conquering Mount Everest in April last year, which was deemed as a contribution to the Islamic world by Jordan's King Hussein.
"King Hussein was very proud that for the first time there was a group of Muslims able to conquer Mount Everest," Hashim said.
"(But) there is one thing that I would like to straighten out... Prabowo does not intend to surrender his Indonesian citizenship," Hashim said, adding that his brother is a nationalist.
Hashim said Prabowo, a son-in-law of former president Soeharto, is presently in Amman, the capital of Jordan, to represent Hashim's business interests in the Middle East.
"Prabowo informed the Armed Forces (ABRI) chief and ABRI chief of general affairs long before (he left) that he would join me in business activities and he would represent my business interests in the Middle East," Hashim said, adding that he supplies, among other things, tea to Amman and buys cotton from Sudan.
Hashim said Prabowo had been abroad for four months attending to personal business, performing the umrah (minor haj pilgrimage) and to have a periodical medical examination.
Hashim also said that Prabowo had been granted a medal of honor by the Jordanian government for military cooperation between ABRI and the Jordanian army.
"The cooperation was initiated by Prabowo when he was still Kopassus chief," Hashim said.
Hashim said King Hussein's son, Prince Abdullah, was chief of the Jordanian Army's Special Force and Prabowo's longtime friend.
Abdullah was appointed army chief of staff this month, Hashim added.
Hashim denied rumors that his father, economic guru Soemitro Djojohadikusumo, and his brother-in-law former Central Bank governor Soedradjad Djiwandono, had fled abroad.
"My father and mother are still here and Soedradjad is now a visiting professor at Harvard University," Hashim said.
Earlier on Tuesday, justice minister Muladi warned Prabowo against accepting Jordanian citizenship.
"We do not recognize dual citizenship... Once someone accepts another citizenship, he loses his Indonesian citizenship," Muladi said at the State Palace.
Speaking after attending a ceremony there, Muladi told reporters that it was up to Prabowo to choose whether to accept Jordanian citizenship, but that there could be drastic consequences if he did.
Prabowo and two other Kopassus senior officers were sanctioned in August after a military council found they were involved in the abduction and torture of political activists earlier in the year.
Prabowo was given an early retirement, while the two others were barred from holding operational positions within ABRI.
The military trial of 11 soldiers, including seven noncommissioned officers, on charges of kidnapping and torture is due to begin here Wednesday.
ABRI Commander Gen. Wiranto, announcing the sanctions on the three Kopassus officers in August, did not rule out the possibility of the three being brought before a military court should more evidence surface during the trial of the 11 soldiers.
Muladi said the issue had been discussed during a meeting of ministers and officials under the supervision of the Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Feisal Tanjung on Monday. (byg/prb)