Prabowo still an Indonesian citizen: Hasyim

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)