Prabowo wants to come home, says brother

Prabowo wants to come home, says brother

JAKARTA (JP): Lt. Gen. (ret) Prabowo Subianto, the disgraced
former chief of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), would like
to return to Jakarta, but is heeding a request by "certain
gentlemen" to remain abroad, his brother said on Thursday.

"Prabowo has in fact been wanting to come home for several
months. He told me that he misses his family, his parents and
even his dogs, but several gentlemen requested he remain abroad,"
said Prabowo's younger brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo.

Prabowo has been based in Amman, Jordan, since he was
discharged from the military in August 1998, following an inquiry
which revealed his involvement in the abduction of student
activists.

Hashim refused to name the "gentlemen" in question, but said
they had told him Prabowo's return would "stir further rumors of
his alleged involvement" in the May riots last year, which led to
the downfall of his father-in-law, former president Soeharto.

However Farid Prawiranegara, known to be one of Prabowo's
closest friends, was more forthcoming: "(President) B.J. Habibie
was among those who requested Prabowo stay abroad."

Farid told The Jakarta Post on Thursday evening that
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Wiranto also backed the
plan.

Hashim announced on Thursday to the media that Minister/State
Secretary Muladi had sent a letter, dated Sept. 13, to the
chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, stating that
the government was unable to find any evidence of Prabowo's
involvement in the May riots.

Muladi has denied the existence of the letter. (byg/prb)