Soeharto hands over foundations' money

Soeharto hands over foundations' money

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto has handed over to the
government the funds from seven charity foundations he chaired, a
total of about Rp 4 trillion (US$530 million), according to
Minister of Information Lt. Gen. Muhammad Yunus.

In a letter dated Nov. 22, Soeharto advised his successor B.J.
Habibie to use the funds to empower the poor and alleviate
poverty, Yunus noted on Wednesday.

"The President has assigned Coordinating Minister for People's
Welfare and Poverty Alleviation Haryono Suyono to represent the
government and act as 'operational coordinator' of the
foundations," Yunus said after attending a six-hour monthly
cabinet meeting on political and security affairs at the Bina
Graha presidential office.

Coordinating Minister for Development Supervision and State
Administrative Reforms Hartarto said the handover would not
affect the ongoing investigation into the foundations.

"The investigation will go ahead," Hartarto said.

Speaking to journalists before the cabinet meeting, Haryono
said the assets of the foundations include stakes in various
banks and companies.

Haryono identified the foundations as Supersemar, Dharmais,
Dakab, Amal Bakti Muslim Pancasila, Dana Sejahtera Mandiri,
Gotong Royong and Trikora.

The Supersemar foundation was formed in 1974 to provide
scholarships for achieving students from elementary to post-
graduate schools. Its assets are estimated at Rp 808 billion.

The Dharmais foundation was set up in 1975 with the aim of
helping the homeless and disabled people and providing health
services. Its assets are about Rp 733.88 billion.

Since 1978, the ministry of finance ordered all state-owned
banks to contribute 5 percent of their net profits to Dharmais.

The Dakab foundation was set up in July 1985 mainly to finance
the Golkar political grouping that Soeharto headed. Its assets
are worth Rp 836.20 billion. Soeharto had previously refused to
hand over the funds to Golkar.

The Amal Bakti Muslim Pancasila foundation was established in
February 1982 with the purpose of building mosques and financing
religious activities. Its total assets as of June this year are
Rp 211.98 billion.

This foundation collected Rp 50 from the monthly salaries of
low-level Moslem civil servants and Armed Forces (ABRI) members.
Senior officials had their monthly pay docked by Rp 1,000.

The Dharmais, Supersemar and Dakab jointly control 79.29
percent of publicly listed Bank Duta. The Nusamba Group, also
controlled by the three foundations, also has a 10 percent stake
in the country's biggest carmaker, PT Astra International.

The assets of Dana Sejahtera Mandiri are worth about Rp 1.1.
trillion. It collected monthly fees from private and state-owned
companies.

Two months after replacing Soeharto in May, President Habibie
revoked the rights of the foundations to collect funds from the
public. The government had said that it had found several
examples of misuse of funds in the first five foundations.

Separately, Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo Mandala Putra, also
known as Tommy, challenged the public and the students on
Wednesday to prove their allegations of his father's wrongdoings
rather than just condemning him without strong evidence.

"Prove his mistakes and do not just talk, demonstrate or
demand," he said after undergoing a seven-hour questioning at the
Attorney General's Office.

This was the third consecutive day he was questioned for his
alleged role in a multi-million dollar land scam.

"Pak Harto is concerned. Why are people and students
preoccupied with denouncing him even as more people go hungrier
and become poorer," Tommy said.

Tommy said his father would be ready to face any trial if the
government had strong evidence against him.

"Bapak is ready for a trial. Why not? He has not committed any
crime," Tommy said.

Even as Tommy spoke at the Attorney General's Office, about
2,000 students from the Student Action Front for Reform and
Democracy (Famred) and Forum Bersama held yet another rally and
tried to reach Soeharto's residence on Jl. Cendana, Central
Jakarta.

"Hang Soeharto for his sins" read one of their banners.

The students started from Jl. Kebon Kacang near the Sogo
department store, and congregated at the Hotel Indonesia
roundabout.

"We're trying to reach Cendana, Soeharto's residence. We want
to convey to him our message. He is responsible for everything
that happened in the past 32 years," Famred's Wahab said.

Security forces tried to block their advance in front of the
Mandarin Oriental Hotel but later opened the cordon and let the
protesters stream into Jl. Imam Bonjol. They were again halted
near the Surapati Park, some 500 meters from Soeharto's
residence. (prb/edt)