Soeharto to return wealth: Gus Dur

Soeharto to return wealth: Gus Dur

TEHRAN (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid hinted on Thursday
former president Soeharto would comply with popular demand to
return his family's wealth to the state.

In his address to Indonesian society here, Abdurrahman said a
negotiation between Soeharto's family and the government, which
would grant Soeharto a presidential pardon if the former ruler
returned all of his ill-gotten assets, is underway.

"I could say now there have been signals that an agreement for
Soeharto to return state assets he illegally obtained is within
reach," Gus Dur, as the President is called, said.

"The family of Pak Harto has agreed, but there are several
matters to be settled, including a necessity for me to issue a
guarantee on the government's behalf that Soeharto will not be
mistreated.

"I don't think it is a bother because I'm not a person who has
a tendency to act cruelly against people."

The President assured, however, the talks would not affect the
legal process against Soeharto.

"He (Soeharto) must follow the legal process anyway. Then I
will pardon him if he is found guilty," Abdurrahman said.

During his visit to the United States earlier this week, the
President claimed to win support from U.S. President Bill Clinton
to trace Soeharto's assets in the country. Abdurrahman said an
organization called the Center for the Study of Corruption would
help the government fight corruption committed by state
officials.

Time magazine wrote in a May, 1999 edition an article that
claimed Soeharto and his family amassed a fortune of around US$15
billion. The Central Jakarta district court threw out a
defamation suit lodged by Soeharto against the magazine last
week.

Abdurrahman's remarks came on the heels of Attorney General
Marzuki Darusman's revelation that Abdurrahman had named Minister
of Mines and Energy Lt. Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono the
government's representative in the talks with Soeharto's family,
which is represented by eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti "Tutut"
Rukmana.

Speaking after a weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Marzuki
stressed that the negotiations were focusing on assets, both in
Indonesia and abroad, which were directly related to the seven
foundations Soeharto chaired.

"The purpose of the negotiations is to get a clearer picture,
whether it is possible to regain these assets," Marzuki said.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post on Thursday, Marzuki
said Susilo's comments were based on the fact that he had
initiated a communication with Soeharto's family over the matter.

Marzuki said such talks would touch sensitive issues so the
two parties need to begin with a comfortable atmosphere.

He added that the talks would be conducted in a more formal
way if substantial progress was made.

"These ongoing talks are only an exchange of opinion. If there
is substantial progress, the government will start a formal forum
that is legally and politically acceptable," Marzuki said.

But lawyers representing the former ruler's family denied that
any conversation between the two parties had occurred.

One of Soeharto's lawyers, Juan Felix Tampubolon, said on
Thursday he heard from Hardijanti that no such talks had
occurred.

"Ibu Tutut denied she had attended any of the talks. I heard
this rumor three weeks ago and sought to immediately confirm it
with her," Juan said.

"We consider this (negotiation) improper. Legal measures have
been imposed on my client, so it must be concluded by a legal
measure," he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Abdurrahman held a meeting with Iranian
President Mohammed Khatami at Saad-Abad, the former imperial
palace.

During his brief talk with Khatami, Abdurrahman asked for
Iran's support on the disputed area of Irian Jaya and other
international issues and for assistance to resolve the economic
and financial crisis at home.

The visit is the first for Abdurrahman since he assumed power
last October. Soeharto visited Iran in 1993, followed by a visit
by former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to Jakarta in 1994.

Abdurrahman also paid a courtesy call to Iranian supreme
leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his one-day trip here.

The President also revealed that Khatami will be among the
world's Muslim leaders invited to a celebration of Prophet
Muhammad's birthday in Jakarta on June 22. Others invited include
Libyan leader Moammar Qaddafi, Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkhiah
and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. (bby/byg)