Soeharto lawyer announces plan to sue 'Time'
JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers acting for former president Soeharto will file a suit against Time magazine this week, after the weekly failed to provide supporting evidence for its report on the Soeharto family's alleged US$15 billion fortune.
Lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon told The Jakarta Post by phone on Saturday the decision was made after his client received on Friday an 'unsatisfactory' reply to the demands.
"(In the letter from Time), they don't go straight to the point, nor are they willing to provide my client with information concerning the libelous report. To deflect our warnings, they cite the American freedom of fair and accurate press reporting," Juan said.
Soeharto's lawyers cautioned the magazine in two letters that they would take either civil or criminal legal action if the weekly failed to substantiate its claims -- such as listing the names of the banks which allegedly hold Soeharto family money -- by May 24, 1999.
"We're not asking Time to disclose the identity of its sources, but they insisted the sources were speaking on condition of anonymity, and therefore should be protected.
"If the magazine really had goodwill to help uncover this matter, why did they refuse to tell us even the names of the banks, for example?" Juan asked.
The two letters sent to Time were signed by Juan Felix Tampubolon, O.C. Kaligis, Denny Kailimang, Mohammad Assegaf, Indriyanto Seno Adji, Aibrah Said, Syamsul Hadi and Victor S. Siregar.
The magazine responded in a letter signed by Time Asia editor Donald Morrison.
Juan declined to divulge when his client would file the suit against the magazine, which has an international circulation.
However, he said the legal team would first lodge a complaint with National Police Headquarters and would seek additional legal assistance to bring the weekly to court.
Time magazine's Asia edition ran a cover story on May 24, in which it claimed that the Soeharto family had built up a $15 billion fortune during Soeharto's 32-year rule, including $9 billion said to have been transferred from a Swiss bank to an Austrian bank a few days after Soeharto resigned on May 21 last year.
Observers say the report has been a sharp rebuke to President B.J. Habibie's administration, which had been accused of foot dragging in its investigation into Soeharto's alleged ill-gotten wealth.
Habibie ordered Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib and Minister of Justice Muladi, who is also Minister/State Secretary, and three bank officials, to travel to Austria and Switzerland to trace the alleged transfer of $9 billion, the equivalent now of approximately Rp 73 trillion. The investigation team was set to leave on Sunday.
Apparently acting on the report, Soeharto visited Ghalib's office on Thursday to submit power of attorney to the government to trace and seize any accounts registered under his name.
On Friday, his second eldest son Bambang Trihatmodjo was grilled for five hours by the attorney general over the same report, which estimated his wealth at $3 billion.
A spokesman for the attorney general, Soehandoyo, said Soeharto's five other children would also be summoned.
"They will all be questioned about the Time report," he said on Friday.
Time also reported that Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana owned about $700 million, son Sigit Harjoyudanto $800 million, daughter Siti Hediati Hariyadi $75 million, son Hutomo Mandala Putra $800 million and daughter Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih $30 million.
Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, better known as 'Tutut' was scheduled to be summoned for questioning on the same matter at the Attorney General's office on Monday, Juan said.
He said she would be accompanied by lawyer Amir Syamsuddin.
Juan said he would represent Sigit on Tuesday.
Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra will be represented by H.M. Dault.
"But I don't know who will represent Mbak (sister) Titik and Mbak Mamiek," Juan said. (emf)