Prosecutors seize documents from Soeharto foundation

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office began on Thursday the unprecedented seizure of documents believed to contain information on assets allegedly illegally amassed by former president Soeharto.

Five state prosecutors confiscated documents concerning the activities of the Supersemar Foundation, one of seven tax-free charitable foundations set up by Soeharto during his 32-year rule. All the foundations retained offices at the Granadi building, which they own, in South Jakarta's main business district.

The team was led by the newly installed director of investigation at the office, Ris Pandapotan Sihombing, and comprised Poerwanto, Patuan Siahaan, Ferry Silalahi and Suriansyah.

Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Yushar Yahya said the documents would be used to verify testimony from witnesses concerning graft and abuse of power allegedly committed by Soeharto.

"We started with the Supersemar documents because our investigation into it is nearly complete. The seizure of articles of other foundations will follow," he told a media briefing at his office.

Soeharto has been named a suspect for issuing decrees and government regulations to amass funds through the foundations.

The seizure was conducted following approval issued on Tuesday by the South Jakarta District Court.

Ris told journalists waiting outside the foundation's office on the building's fourth floor that his team confiscated "a lot of documents" needed as evidence.

He added the foundation would remain operational despite the seizure.

Lawyers for three of Soeharto's foundations -- Supersemar, Dharmais and Dana Karya Abadi -- contended the measure violated the law.

However, they let the prosecutors proceed. "Since this is conducted in the interest of the state, then go ahead," one of the lawyers, Syamsul Hadi, said.

Separately, Antonius Sujata, a former state prosecutor who investigated Soeharto's alleged graft in 1998, speculated that the Attorney General's Office was relatively slow in seizing the foundations' assets because it was weighing possible legal consequences.

"It's likely they are just being prudent," Antonius, who now chairs the National Ombudsman Council, said at his office on Thursday. (01)