Swiss govt to receive RI team probing Suharto

Swiss govt to receive RI team probing Suharto

BERN (AP): Switzerland is prepared to receive an Indonesian delegation checking allegations that former President Soeharto stashed billions of dollars abroad, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry said on Friday.

But Indonesia still needs to formally request legal help in the case before any investigation can get under way, Yasmine Chatila said.

Soeharto gave the Indonesian attorney general's office a letter Thursday authorizing state investigators to search for and seize any funds they find in foreign bank accounts under his name, but denied he had ever had any money overseas.

Time magazine's Asian edition last week claimed Soeharto and his family had accumulated a $15 billion fortune. It also accused them of transferring $9 billion from Switzerland to an account in Austria a few days after he resigned in May last year.

Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib and Justice Minister Muladi, accompanied by three banking officials, are to leave on Sunday for Switzerland and Austria to investigate the allegations.

Ghalib and Muladi will be welcomed by Switzerland's foreign and justice ministers if they go ahead with the visit here as expected Monday, Chatila said.

"In all its contacts to date with Indonesian authorities, Switzerland has always stressed it is prepared to be of assistance to Indonesia in this matter," she said.

"But the way forward clearly has to go through an official request to Switzerland by Indonesia for legal assistance."

So far, Switzerland has not ordered the freezing of any Soeharto-related assets.

Soeharto, 77, has been the target of allegations over his wealth since he quit following protests and riots 12 months ago. His children have built business empires and are known to own properties abroad.