Soeharto only has Rp 21 billion, Akbar says
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)