Soeharto only has Rp 21 billion, Akbar says
JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung has said the government's investigation into Soeharto has revealed that the former president holds Rp 21 billion in domestic bank accounts.
Following inquiries at 72 banks in the country, "Attorney General (Andi Mohammad Ghalib) has received an official report saying that former president Soeharto has 21 billion rupiah in his accounts, not trillions as reported by the media," Akbar told reporters after accompanying President B.J. Habibie to a meeting with members of the National Commission on Human Rights at the President's residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Akbar made the comments while explaining the government's commitment to undertake a thorough investigation of Soeharto, his family and friends, who allegedly amassed a fortune during the former president's 32-year rule.
In its Special Session which ended last Friday, The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) agreed to instruct the government to investigate incumbent and former government officials -- including Soeharto -- their families and cronies as well as businesspeople of suspected of corruption, collusion and nepotism.
The MPR decree stipulates that officials shall publicly disclose their wealth before and after their appointment and shall be willing to have their wealth audited by an institution set up by the head of state to perform that task.
The decree also requires amendment of the anti-corruption law to enhance the drive to combat graft.
The United Development Party (PPP) faction in the Assembly originally insisted that the investigation of Soeharto and his cronies should be included in a separate decree. After pressure was brought to bear by the other four factions, the PPP agreed that it was sufficient to include provision for the investigation in the decree on good governance.
Merdeka daily reported that last Friday, officials of the Attorney General's Office disclosed they had found accounts belonging to Soeharto in ten state-owned and private domestic banks containing a total of Rp 1 trillion in deposits.
Quoting Attorney General Ghalib, Deputy Attorney General Soehandjono, said the investigation team had checked 72 of Indonesia's 254 banks for accounts bearing Soeharto's name. He said the team has also audited all of Soeharto's charitable foundations.
Ghalib said his office was taking the investigation seriously and had no intention of protecting elements of Soeharto's New Order regime. "What we are handling now are old cases. We are washing up (for other people after they're party has finished)," he said.
"I am a reformist," he insisted.
Forbes magazine has repeatedly printed stories accusing Soeharto of amassing stakes in around 3,200 Indonesian companies and accumulating a family fortune worth $4 billion during the 32 years of his rule.
Habibie's government came under fire in July when it said it was planning to spend Rp 26.5 billion (US$1.7 million at the exchange rate at the time) on a retirement home for Soeharto.
During last week's session of the Assembly, students across the country staged demonstrations to demand that Soeharto be brought to trial to face charges of corruption. They also demanded an end to the Armed Forces' political role and a free and fair general election by May next year at the latest.
On Sunday, the Masyumi Baru Party led by Ridwan Saidi called on the public to stop slandering Soeharto.
"Let's stop slandering Pak Harto as all the issues surrounding him are now part of the government's legal agenda. Don't make his condition any worse," Ridwan said at a ceremony to mark the appointment of a board of executives in his party's Padang chapter in West Sumatra on Sunday.
He said some of those slandering Soeharto were once followers of the autocratic ruler.
"We (Masyumi and Soeharto) were only enemies while he was in power, but now we are no longer (enemies). Let legal channels settle all problems relating to Soeharto," he said. (swe/prb)