Switzerland ready to help Indonesia, ambassador says
Switzerland ready to help Indonesia, ambassador says
JAKARTA (JP): Switzerland is willing to assist Indonesia in
its search for illegal wealth allegedly stashed by corrupt
Indonesian officials in Swiss banks, Swiss Ambassador Hemr Gerald
Forjalliz said here on Wednesday.
The envoy was quoted by Antara as telling Minister of Justice
Muladi in a meeting here that an Indonesian official, however,
must first be declared a suspect before the Swiss government
would allow an investigation into his or her bank accounts.
Muladi conceded that prudence is important to foreign banks.
"Before (an official) becomes a suspect, a bank will not
disclose (the official's) wealth," he said.
On the manhunt for Eddy Tansil, Muladi said a team was
continuing to trace the whereabouts of the businessman who was
serving a 20 year jail term for embezzling Rp 1.3 trillion from a
state bank when he escaped in 1996.
Tansil was reportedly found in China running a beer brewery.
"The team was formed after Tansil's escape and is led by the
justice minister and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the National Intelligence Coordinating Board," Muladi
said, adding that the government should form extradition treaties
with Singapore, Hong Kong and China.
Separately, politician Amien Rais on Wednesday renewed his
call for former president Soeharto to publicly apologize for
abuse of power during his 32-year rule, and to return the wealth
that he obtained through corruption.
"I think Pak Harto needs to apologize. Indonesians will accept
his apology. If he does not (apologize), the people will continue
to condemn him and his children and grandchildren," Amien was
quoted by Antara as saying after attending a seminar on the
environment.
"A public apology is needed because he (Soeharto) abused the
power that the people granted to him for more than three
decades," he added.
Amien also said that Soeharto should follow up his apology
with a pledge to return to the state the wealth he and his
children accumulated through corruption.
"If he takes this step, I am pretty sure that our nation will
accept his apology," he said.
Amien, however, pointed out that Soeharto seems to have opted
to take the matter to court rather than agreeing to an out of
court settlement.
Law enforcers must pursue Soeharto's case seriously, fairly,
transparently and honestly, no matter how long this takes, he
said.
Amien also cited the experience of the Philippine government
in dealing with the corruption case brought against the late
president Ferdinand Marcos.
"Look at the Marcos' case. It is still not fully solved after
12 years," he said, adding that like Marcos' children and other
family members, the Soehartos will continue to be hounded until
the case is resolved. (imn/swe)