Soeharto ownership of properties found

JAKARTA (JP): Officials in East Kalimantan, Yogyakarta and Padang, West Sumatra, have discovered that former Soeharto and his family owned millions of hectares more property in their areas than previously thought.

The head of the prosecutor's office in East Kalimantan, Mansyur Kertayasa, was quoted as saying on Friday that the former first family and their close associates controlled areas of forest totaling about 2.4 million hectares. The prosecutor's office in South Kalimantan has reported 350,000 hectares of palm plantations.

Kompas daily reported the plots were controlled by the first family through shares held in various companies. Soeharto, his sons Bambang Trihatmodjo, Sigit Harjojudanto, daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana and close associates Muhammad "Bob" Hasan and Sudwikatmono were singled out as being shareholders in the companies.

Among the plots were 330,000 hectares owned by Sigit and Bob Hasan, the report said.

The West Sumatra office of the National Land Agency reported properties of 38,281 hectares under Soeharto's family's ownership.

The agency's head of administrative affairs, Muhadi, said that the process of documenting Soeharto's properties in the province began in October, but that some regencies had yet to report their findings.

"Most of the land has been converted into oil palm plantations," he said on Friday.

One plantation in Sawahlunto regency is listed under PT Tidar Kerinci Agung ownership, a company whose president commissioner is Soeharto's daughter Siti Hediaty Hariadi.

Local residents said they were not paid compensation for the land they lost when the plantation was developed.

Separately, Antara reported on Friday that prosecutors in Yogyakarta have identified 150 hectares of land owned by Soeharto, his family and associates.

The head of the provincial prosecutor's office, Soeparman, said the largest single area was a 75-hectare site in Kulonprogo regency. "They own land in all regencies except Gunung Kidul," he added.

He said it was not easy to prove the land had been obtained illegally given many names listed on the ownership certificates.

He said his office would seek to claim any unpaid taxes on the land. "We're also looking to see if the land was leased on a corrupt and collusive basis," he added.

So far, he said, ownership of 24 hectares had been traced to Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, 15.2 hectares to Hutomo Mandala Putra, 25 hectares to business associate Sudwikatmono and 22 hectares to half-brother Probosutedjo and younger brother Noto Suwito. (anr/28)