Soeharto may return $25b to the govt: Abdurrahman

Soeharto may return $25b to the govt: Abdurrahman

CAIRO (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid estimates that some
US$25 billion of former president Soeharto's wealth will
eventually be returned to the state.

Speaking to journalists upon his arrival at the Egyptian
capital on Sunday afternoon, the President did not elaborate on
his estimate but confirmed it was roughly equivalent to media
reports of the Soeharto clan's wealth.

"At least around US$25 billion, but how much further is the
limit I don't know," Abdurrahman replied when asked to respond to
media estimates of Soeharto's wealth.

He then stressed that it would be up to the courts to decide
how much should be returned.

"Based on our laws it is the court who determines the amount,
not the executive (president). So we'll let the judge decide
this," he added.

He then mentioned last year's edition of Time magazine which
estimated the Soeharto wealth at around $15 billion.

The Central Jakarta District Court threw out earlier this
month a defamation libel suit lodged by Soeharto against the U.S.
magazine due to its May 24, 1999, cover story.

The magazine reported that Soeharto and his family had amassed
a fortune of around $15 billion.

Soeharto has denied the report, saying he does not have a
"single cent" hidden abroad.

Apart from an Attorney General's Office investigation on
Soeharto's alleged abuse of power to amass wealth through his
foundations, the government revealed last week that Minister of
Mines and Energy Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was also negotiating
with the Soeharto family to return some of the money or assets he
alleged took from the country.

"Time magazine wrote there was about $15 billion. They won the
case in court. It means that their estimation was about right,"
Abdurrahman said on Sunday, explaining his rationale.

The President arrived in Cairo on Sunday, the last leg of his
eight-nation two-week tour, to attend a G-15 Summit.

In a related development, Soeharto's lawyers have filed a
complaint to the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights
office in Switzerland against the Attorney General's Office for
violating the rights of their client in its investigation of him.

Lawyers Juan Felix Tampubolon, O.C. Kaligis and Indriyanto
Seno Adji filed the report due to persistent questioning from
prosecutors despite Soeharto's ill-health.

Another of Soeharto's lawyers, Mohamad Assegaf, who stayed in
Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that Attorney General
Marzuki Darusman had ignored Soeharto's health.

Commenting on Saturday's brain scan on his client, Assegaf
said previous examinations had found "spots" on the former
President's brain.

"The latest technique, scintigraphy, is more sophisticated and
hopefully gives a more accurate assessment," Assegaf said.

But Marzuki told the Post on Sunday that the investigation
would not be affected by the result of the brain scan.

"Even if the answers are mostly 'I don't know' or 'I can't
remember' ... they're his answers. We have to take them as his
answers. However, we will cross check everything with the
witnesses' testimonies," Marzuki told the Post. (byg/bby)