'Soeharto's wealth could be traced'

'Soeharto's wealth could be traced'

JAKARTA (JP): Legal experts have stressed that only the police
and the Attorney General's Office have the authority to
investigate the wealth of former president Soeharto and his
family, which many believe to have been amassed through abuses of
power.

Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a professor of law at the Jakarta-based
University of Indonesia, and Solly Lubis of North Sumatra
University in Medan, said separately that unless handled well,
the matter could tarnish Indonesia's international image.

Yusril, however, stressed that any investigation into
Soeharto's wealth should be done "humanely" and in accordance
with the law.

"I am of the opinion that the investigation should be carried
out in accordance with due legal procedures. It should not be
done in inhumane ways," he said in a dialog with students in
Jambi yesterday. He did not elaborate.

Contrary to some people's opinions, he said, the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) did not have the authority to
investigate the wealth of Soeharto, his children and
grandchildren, which some estimate at about US$40 billion.

The tasks of the Assembly were to establish the state policy
guidelines and to appoint and dismiss a president, Yusril said.

Soeharto did not give an account of his leadership to the
Assembly following his resignation, but it did not mean he was
exempted from a possible investigation into his and his family's
wealth, said Yusril, who accompanied Soeharto in his last-ditch
effort to save his presidency by drafting a committee for reform.

Only hours after the committee members were chosen, Soeharto
decided he would resign because some of his ministers as well as
the Armed Forces told him they no longer supported him.

"The issue (of Soeharto's wealth) could tarnish the image of
the police and the Attorney General's Office if the two fail to
investigate it," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Yusril, who denied he was part of Soeharto's regime, said it
was only the courts which had the competence to decide whether it
was necessary to investigate Soeharto's wealth or not. "Let's
await a court's verdict on the issue," he said.

Solly said Indonesia's image would be ruined if people just
"robbed" Soeharto of his wealth without following legal
procedures.

"It'd better for Soeharto and his family to voluntarily have
their wealth audited and investigated," he said. "If they are
found guilty... they could be jailed or made to pay fines, or
their wealth could be seized by the state."

A similar call was made yesterday by the Association of
Muhammadiyah Students, which said any investigation must be made
while maintaining the principle of presumption of innocence.

Probosutedjo, Soeharto's half-brother, said recently that
Soeharto and his family were ready to have their wealth audited
in accordance with legal procedures.

Some public leaders, such as Amien Rais and Megawati
Soekarnoputri, have asked for compassion for Soeharto. Amien,
however, insisted that the Soehartos' wealth should be retrieved
and returned to the nation.

Lubis said it would be possible for the people to pardon
Soeharto "in a political manner" by having the People's
Consultative Assembly formally forgive him in a special session.

"This is so the nation can understand why it should forgive
him," Lubis said.

Many groups of workers and students have demanded the MPR hold
a special session to ask for Soeharto's accountability, including
an explanation of his wealth. (rms)