Probosutedjo facing fraud charges

Probosutedjo facing fraud charges

JAKARTA: Magnate Probosutedjo, a step brother of former
dictator Soeharto, is to be charged with swindling Rp 44 billion
of state funds, Attorney General's Office spokesman Barman Zahir
said Tuesday.

Investigators handed Probosutedjo's fraud case to the Jakarta
Prosecution Office on Tuesday. It is expected to take at least
three weeks for the case to be brought to the Central Jakarta
District Court.

Probosutedjo has been accused of marking up the size of PT
Menara Hutan Buana's industrial timber estate in South Kalimantan
to obtain reforestation funds totaling Rp 144.4 billion in the
form of an interest-free loan in November 1996.

The project was believed to be worth only Rp 105.5 billion.

"PT Menara also got a Rp 5.6 billion loan for reforestation
but the money was used for other business and not to manage the
timber estate," Barman added. -- JP

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Prosecutors to check Soeharto's health
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Soeharto's health check undecided

JAKARTA: State prosecutors are planning to check former
president Soeharto's health later this week before deciding
whether or not to reopen his corruption case.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Barman Zahir said on
Tuesday that South Jakarta Prosecutors' Office head Poerwanto
would hold a meeting with doctors from state-owned Cipto
Mangunkusumo Hospital on Wednesday.

"The meeting is aimed at establishing a medical team to assess
whether Soeharto is fit to stand trial," Barman said.

Soeharto, who turned 82 last Saturday, was a no-show at his
trial held in September 2000 due to ill-health.

The South Jakarta District Court decided not to pursue
corruption charges against Soeharto in 2001 after hearing
arguments from an independent team of doctors that the former
dictator was mentally and physically unfit to stand trial.

Soeharto has been accused of misappropriating funds worth
US$571 million during his rule for more than three decades until
1998. -- JP