Soeharto to be put in 'secure location'
Soeharto to be put in 'secure location'
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office announced on
Monday that it would move former president Soeharto to a
"secure", state-protected location to facilitate further
investigations and other safety reasons.
The decision came after prosecutors cut short their fourth
questioning of Soeharto earlier in the day at his residence, due
to a sudden increase in his blood pressure.
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said the decision to move
Soeharto was prompted by escalating public pressure, sometimes
bordering on lawlessness, demanding swift action against the
former president.
"Given the situation, we have asked the police to remove
Soeharto from his residence on Jl. Cendana and to put him in a
state installation or a state house where he will be
automatically protected by the state," he told journalists.
"We want to avoid any possible potential conflict between
students and security officers which could cause an unnecessary
loss to both parties," he added.
He revealed that the government had discovered the presence of
unidentified groups protecting Soeharto and his family all this
time, which were not official security units authorized to do so.
"These groups are the source triggering the conflict between
students and security officers," he explained.
Marzuki would not detail when Soeharto would be moved or to
which location, saying only that it would be somewhere in
Jakarta.
"I will discuss the technical matters of this policy with
National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo tonight. The results
will be made public later," he added.
Soeharto, who is currently under city arrest, is suspected of
abusing his power as president to issue regulations and decrees
to amass funds for foundations he chaired. Marzuki has said the
dossiers for the investigation would be ready by Aug. 10.
But there has been increasing public clamor, particularly
through student demonstrations, that swifter action be taken.
It is these demonstrations that Marzuki feared would lead to a
violent confrontation with security forces.
However, Marzuki also noted on Monday that moving Soeharto to
a state-controlled location could also remove any impediments to
investigations against Soeharto.
"The Attorney General's Office submitted this move to the
President and the National Police chief to ensure that the
investigations were not slowed down," Marzuki said.
The move could be a severe blow to 78-year-old Soeharto, who
lived at his current residence throughout his 32 years as
president.
Pressure
Investigations into the case in the past few months have been
hampered by Soeharto's medical condition, as his personal
physicians initially said he was not healthy enough to face
questioning.
But after several checkups by an independent health team, the
questioning resumed.
On Monday, prosecutors were halted in the middle of
questioning when the independent medical team from Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) suddenly noticed Soeharto's
blood pressure rising.
Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Yushar Yahya said
that before being stopped, Soeharto was able to answer 11 of 20
questions posed during the two-and-a-half-hour session.
"The questions were still about the charity foundations, but
they touched on the substance of the allegations," he told
journalists.
According to Yushar, among the questions posed were if
Soeharto had obtained permission or consulted with the minister
of social affairs before establishing the foundations or the use
of the foundations' funds.
"He was also asked whether it was true or not that he had
instructed the then minister of finance to issue ministerial
ruling No.333/1996 which obliged state banks to donate 5 percent
of their net profit to some foundations," Yushar said.
"But Soeharto gave an unsatisfactory reply, saying that he
didn't remember clearly," he added. (01)