Soeharto case to be submitted to court
JAKARTA (JP): Corruption charges against former president Soeharto will be filed in the court before expiration of the last extension of his city arrest status on Aug. 10 at the latest, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman announced on Friday.
"I have reported to President Abdurrahman Wahid (during the cabinet meeting on Wednesday) that the investigation into Soeharto's case is expected to be completed before the expiration of the last extension of Soeharto's city arrest on August 10.
"So, it can be expected that the dossiers (on Soeharto) will be submitted to the court within two months from now," Marzuki told a press conference at his office.
Soeharto was first placed under city arrest for 20 days on April 13, then for another 40 days from May 3 to June 11 for the sake of the investigation.
Under the current law, Marzuki said, the city arrest order could be extended twice, 30 days each, to allow the Attorney General's Office to prepare the charge documents.
He refused to detail the charges, but has said previously they will involve both corruption and abuse of power.
Marzuki also said that the official security for Soeharto would be reduced to a "minimum level" if the former president and his family did not comply with efforts to locate assets which allegedly were illicitly amassed during his 32 years in power.
"I have been instructed by the President to convey to Soeharto that if there is no cooperation and goodwill from the former president and his family in returning the funds, that were allegedly swindled, his official protection from the state will be reduced to the lowest level," Marzuki said.
He did not elaborate, but said: "the security protection will be at the level that the government is required to provide for him and his family and no more than that".
Later in the day, Marzuki was quoted by Budiman Sudjatmiko, Democratic People's Party chairman, as saying that Soeharto's security guards who were not part of the official security unit "have posed resistance" to the Attorney General's Office's investigation.
Marzuki's statement came as demands have mounted for the present government to bring Soeharto to justice.
Hundreds of student protesters clashed with police last week after they attempted to force their way into the former president's residence on Jl. Cendana in a Central Jakarta upmarket housing complex.
Anti-Soeharto protests near the former ruler's house have so far been dispersed due to the presence of a strong security force.
When asked whether the statement to reduce security protection for Soeharto was a threat, Marzuki said: "It is not a threat, it is recognition of the limitation of what the government can do to ensure the protection of Mr. Soeharto as far as the government's obligation is concerned".
"I can only relay the message of the President that he feels this needs to be announced because the government does not hear any cooperation from Soeharto's side," he added.
The 78-year-old retired five-star general is suspected of abusing his power and authority in issuing decrees and government regulations to amass funds through his seven charitable foundations.
Estimates of the fortune that Suharto and his family allegedly amassed have ranged from a few hundred million to over 10 billion dollars.
The Attorney General's Office has summoned executives of the foundations, including two of Soeharto's children. The office also confiscated documents relating to the Supersemar Foundation and Dharmais Foundation as evidence in the case.
Soeharto has been questioned three times by the Attorney General's Office, but at least once questioning was cut short after doctors insisted Soeharto was too ill to continue.
His lawyers have repeatedly said Soeharto is unable to undergo questioning, because he cannot communicate clearly as a result of the stroke he suffered last year. (01/byg)