Soeharto authorizes prosecutors' probe

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto went to the Attorney General's Office on Friday, "not for investigation" according to the government, but to submit draft letters granting permission to open any bank accounts bearing his name both here and overseas.

Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib told journalists that the former ruler came to submit two unsigned drafts of letters authorizing investigators to search for wealth which he has allegedly squirreled away overseas.

"The first document was a draft letter authorizing the Attorney General to transfer funds held abroad, if they do exist, to the Indonesian government," said Ghalib, who has been entrusted with leading the investigation into Soeharto's personal wealth.

"The second document was a draft letter authorizing those particular banks to reveal details of Soeharto's accounts," Ghalib told a packed media conference after meeting Soeharto for 35 minutes at his office in South Jakarta.

The country's former strongman leader arrived in a dark blue Mercedes jeep followed by another Mercedes jeep packed with his batik-clad bodyguards. Soeharto sat in the front passenger seat wearing a blue batik shirt and a traditional black cap.

Upon his arrival, he was immediately escorted to Ghalib's chamber on the second floor of the main building.

When he left, Soeharto, who was last year made an honorary five-star general, was seen smiling and waving to dozens of reporters and photographers who had been waiting at the office since morning.

He did not make any comment.

A number of photographers were seen chasing after Soeharto's car to take his picture. He was driven back to his home on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta.

Ghalib said that during a previous meeting on Monday, Soeharto had expressed his willingness to come in person to the Attorney General's Office to submit the required documents.

Ghalib said earlier this week that his visit to Soeharto's residence on Monday was only to get "detailed clarification" of a televised statement made by the former president on Sept. 6. In the statement, Soeharto claimed not even to have one cent of savings abroad.

Ghalib said on Friday that Soeharto was accompanied by his lawyer Syamsul Hadi.

He also said that two teams have been established to locate any money Soeharto might have stashed overseas and to identify assets that were possibly obtained by corrupt means.

He said the teams are respectively chaired by Deputy Attorney General for Civil and State Administrative Soehandjono and Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Anton Sujata.

Suspect

Ghalib reiterated that Soeharto has not been named as suspect in a corruption investigation.

"Up to now, we have no evidence or data which points to Soeharto as a suspect. People should wait patiently for the results (of the whole investigation)," he said, adding that it had taken years for the Philippines to recover money taken by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Ghalib did not rule out the possibility of extending the investigation to include Soeharto's six children, who are also currently surrounded by allegations of corruption.

"If we find leads which point to his children, we will pursue the investigation (in that direction)," Ghalib said.

Ghalib said he also planned to question those who have publicly alleged Soeharto has stashed money overseas.

"We will seek information from Amien Rais, Christianto Wibisono, Albert Hasibuan and whoever else (who have spoken about having data on Soeharto's wealth)," Ghalib said, referring to the leader of the National Mandate Party and two members of the Movement of Concerned Citizens on State Assets (Gempita).

Meanwhile, Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung told reporters at the Bina Graha presidential office that Soeharto would have to file a report on his personal wealth, which all cabinet ministers must complete by law.

Ghalib, however, said that Soeharto has filed the report, adding that it would soon be submitted to President B.J. Habibie.

Forbes magazine estimated in July that Soeharto's wealth was worth US$4 billion. Legal experts have said that although the amount may be even more than that, decrees introduced by Soeharto during his 32 year rule may make it difficult to prove the money was acquired illegally. (byg/imn/prb)