Returning assets

Returning assets

From Rakyat Merdeka

Before being elected president, Abdurrahman Wahid expressed his opinion on the investigation into former president Soeharto. He suggested that Soeharto should repent and return to the state some of his assets allegedly amassed through corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN). In this way the problem would be solved.

This opinion has led to pros and cons in the community because it has put aside legal justice. The President must have expressed this opinion because he would like part of Soeharto's allegedly illegally amassed assets to be used to help the state and the people, both of which is the grip of a deep economic crisis.

As a layman, I would like to suggest the gesture be extended to include not only Soeharto but also all officials during Soeharto's regime and their cronies, including business tycoons, who amassed great wealth through KKN.

In this regard, they should make an agreement with the government and the House of Representatives and the People's Consultative Assembly about the portion of the assets that they would be allowed to keep in order that they may be exempted from any probe. Their names and their assets should then be publicly announced in the mass media.

In conjunction with this, it would be much better if some businesspeople donated part of their assets even though they are not implicated in KKN. The community is observant enough to identify who is or is not involved in KKN. Regarding officials during the New Order regime, they should include officials at the village unit level. I'm sure there are hundreds or even thousands who could be implicated in malpractice.

During B.J. Habibie's transitional administration not a single person involved in KKN was brought to court. How many more years will be needed to investigate the hundreds of people who may have been involved in wrongdoings? Hundreds of years? Besides, there are other crimes the settlement of which is not clear yet. One thing is sure, though, many lawyers will get rich as defense counsels.

Y. LUKMAN

Jakarta