'Time' magazine report 'cruel slander': Soeharto

'Time' magazine report 'cruel slander': Soeharto

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto has called the cover
story on the latest edition of Time magazine -- in which he is
accused of amassing enormous wealth during his 32 years in power
-- a cruel slander.

"I'm the person who knows most about the situation (his
wealth). It's a lie," Soeharto said on Friday in his first public
comment on this week's Time Asia edition.

"Slander is worse than murder. It's a crime and I have the
right to take legal action," he said in remarks broadcast by
RCTI, a private station owned by his son Bambang Trihatmodjo.

Time's cover story entitled Soeharto Inc. alleges that
Soeharto and his family built up a fortune worth $15 billion
during his 32 years in power. The sum includes $9 billion in
funds said to have been transferred from Switzerland to Austria
just days after Soeharto resigned on May 21, 1998.

Soeharto said he had taken the accusations against him in his
stride.

"It is said that if a person accepts insults with patience,
all his sins will be assumed by the person who makes them. I now
have something for the hereafter," joked the former president,
who turns 78 next month.

He denied rumors that he plans to flee the country.

"I won't run away. I was born in Indonesia and I'm going to
die here. I won't run away and die abroad.

"My children and I will remain in Indonesia. No one is running
away. They too will act like responsible citizens."

He made the remarks after Friday prayers at his Jl. Cendana
residence in Central Jakarta. Since resigning last year, Soeharto
has made a habit of joining the congregation at Bambang's
Bimantara Building or at the mosque in Taman Mini Indonesia.

Soeharto has been questioned once by the Attorney General's
Office in connection with allegations surrounding the source of
his alleged wealth. There has been no follow up since then.

His lawyers have demanded that Time prove its claims or face
criminal and civil legal action. The magazine has been given
until Monday to respond to the demand.

The lawyers stressed that their client does not have any money
abroad, but added that Soeharto's wealth must be distinguished
from the wealth of his children.

Time's Hong Kong-based correspondent Jim Colmey said on Friday
that the magazine stood by its story and denied there was an
ulterior motive behind it.

"It's a great story. One of the last great stories in Asia in
the second half of this century. We have no hidden motive for
writing the story other than documenting facts to the best of our
ability," Colmey said by phone from Hong Kong.

"We don't work for any party, or any government. There was no
motive other than seeking the truth," he said.

Time Asia Editor Donald Morrison has written back to
Soeharto's lawyers to inform them that the matter has been
referred to the magazine's lawyers.

Colmey said all the information in the articles was carefully
vetted by reporters involved in the project, the magazines
editors, and the magazine's lawyers.

He said he realized the wealth of the former president and his
family was an important story for Indonesia. "But I don't think
we were expecting this much reaction."

Time's cover story has prompted the Attorney General's Office,
which has a mandate to investigate Soeharto's wealth, to set up a
special team to look into the magazine's claims.

Some politicians have also called on the government to use the
Time article to help its investigation, while others said the
government should file a lawsuit against the magazine, if only to
bring out the truth about Soeharto's wealth. (emb)