Soeharto probe to be completed soon: Yushar

JAKARTA (JP): Amid ongoing pressure to speed up the investigation into Soeharto's corruption cases, the Attorney General's Office vowed on Monday that the questioning of Soeharto would soon be completed.

Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Yushar Yahya also said his office strongly believed that Soeharto could be brought to court, adding that the investigation had run smoothly and that so far the suspect had signed five dossiers.

His office, he said, only needs a few more things from several witnesses to be cross-checked.

Most questions concerning Soeharto's foundations were answered well, Yushar added.

Over the past two months, the Attorney General's Office has intensified its investigation into Soeharto's alleged involvement in corruption by questioning his family and acquaintances and seizing documents belonging to his seven tax-exempt charitable foundations.

The office put Soeharto under house arrest last week.

Soeharto answered 25 questions in an hour-long session on Monday at his residence on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta.

Soeharto's lawyers said his answers could not be taken into consideration due to the impact of a mild stroke he suffered last year.

Juan Felix Tampubolon, one of his lawyers, said the results of a medical examination conducted by Soeharto's private doctors and the independent Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital team proved it was difficult to ask his client to clarify things.

"Mostly Pak Harto answered that he couldn't remember and he suggested the prosecutors question the foundations' managements," he said, referring to Soeharto by his nickname.

Juan said that one of the answers his client could answer was whether he was the patron of timber company PT Nusamba, owned by timber tycoon Mohammad "Bob" Hasan.

"We are still not sure whether it's true or not, but Bapak said that he is," Juan added.

Juan added that the government had set June 17 for Soeharto to undergo a brain examination in a hospital in Jakarta.

Separately, some 300 students staged a protest at the busy Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, calling for a "trial by the people" of Soeharto for his alleged political and economic crimes committed during his 32-year reign.

Students from City Forum (Forkot) burned sketches of Soeharto as they chanted demands for a trial.

"Soeharto must be held responsible for cases of human rights violations in Aceh, Irian Jaya, Ambon and North Maluku, and other regions," they chanted.

The students accused the Indonesian Military and the National Police of protecting Soeharto.

The 45-minute protest ended peacefully, with police officers kept busy redirecting the snarled traffic. (06/bby)