Seizure of Soeharto assets to begin soon
Seizure of Soeharto assets to begin soon
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office announced on
Wednesday it would begin the seizure of assets related to former
president Soeharto's corruption charges in the coming few days.
Spokesman for the office Yushar Yahya told a media conference
here that preparations were underway for a legal measure
following official approval from the South Jakarta District Court
earlier in the day.
The approval was signed by the court's deputy chairman JMT
Simatupang.
"Since we've already got the court's approval, we are now
arranging all measures to execute the seizure smoothly, including
the security of it and actions to take if someone tries to impede
our work," Yushar said.
A member of the state prosecutor's team investigating the
former ruler, who requested anonymity, told journalists on
Wednesday that the seizure would begin on Thursday.
In its letter of request, dated April 18, the Attorney
General's Office asked the court to allow the sealing of the
Granadi building, located on Jl. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta's
business district.
The 20-story building currently houses the offices of
Soeharto's seven charitable foundations, while a major part of it
is leased for commercial purposes.
Soeharto is suspected of abusing his power and authority as
president during 32 years of rule by issuing decrees and
government regulations to amass funds through the tax-free
charitable foundations which he set up and chaired.
Yushar also said his office was asking for the approval of the
seizures from other district courts countrywide where Soeharto's
assets are situated.
Earlier in the day, former financial minister Ali Wardhana,
who served under Soeharto from 1968 to 1983, was questioned for
over two hours as a witness in the case concerning the ex-
president's alleged graft.
State prosecutor Suriansyah said that the questioning was
aimed at clarifying Ali's role in issuing ministerial decree No.
333/1978 which obliged all state enterprises and state banks to
donate five percent of their net profits to social activities
carried out by two of Soeharto's foundations, Dharmais and
Supersemar. The decree followed a government regulation on
donation for charity activities.
The deputy head of financial affairs at the State Logistics
Agency, Ruskandar, was also questioned over the regular donation
of his office to Soeharto's charitable foundations Dana Karya
Abadi and Dharmais.
Separately, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said that New
Zealand Foreign Minister Phil Goff told him during the latter's
visit to Jakarta earlier this week of his government's
willingness to help locate assets linked to Soeharto.
Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, once
owned a multimillion dollar alpine lodge on New Zealand's South
Island.
Marzuki said that Indonesia had also asked the Swiss and U.S.
governments to help trace possible Soeharto assets in the two
countries. (01/byg)