Tommy questioned over Rp 52.5b land swindle
Tommy questioned over Rp 52.5b land swindle
JAKARTA (JP): The youngest son of former president Soeharto,
Hutomo Mandala Putra, spent three hours at the Attorney General's
office on Monday answering questions about a Rp 52.5 billion land
scam in North Jakarta.
"I came here to convey what I know," Tommy, as the businessman
is popularly known, said after the investigation.
He vowed full cooperation with the government in conducting
the investigation.
Wearing a gray batik shirt, Tommy left in a special edition of
a four-wheel drive Timor van. The Timor national car project was
one of many lucrative business projects he was awarded during his
father's reign as president.
The investigation came amidst a growing chorus for the
government to investigate allegations of corruption, collusion
and nepotism against Soeharto, his family and cronies.
Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Barman Zahir said
Sudibyo Saleh, the office's head of intelligence operations,
leads the investigation team.
Tommy was questioned over the sale of the National Logistics
Agency's (Bulog) property in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, to PT
Goro Batara Sakti, the giant supermarket chain in which Tommy
owned some shares.
The Immigration Office later confirmed that the government had
barred Tommy from leaving the country for one year pending the
corruption investigation, Antara reported.
Also barred from making overseas travel are the other two main
figures in the investigation: Ricardo Gelael of the Gelael
supermarket chain, and Beddu Amang, the former Bulog chairman.
Barman said both Ricardo and Beddu would be questioned in the
coming weeks.
The investigation focused on a contract Bulog signed to sell
its property in Kelapa Gading to Goro. Under the exchange, the
state agency would receive a 63 hectare plot in Marunda, North
Jakarta, estimated to be worth Rp 52.5 billion.
However, Bulog had only received eight hectares of the plot
entitlement and the state agency had even forked out Rp 32.5
billion for the property which should have been paid by Goro,
Barman said.
In addition, Bulog also provided a guarantee for a Rp 20
billion loan which Goro took out from Bank Bukopin to purchase
the Marunda land, Barman said.
Barman said Tommy is not a suspect, at least at this stage.
"We still need more information from Tommy. We also want to
question Ricardo and Beddu," he said.
PT Goro Batara Sakti used to run two giant supermarkets in
Kelapa Gading and on Jl. Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta. The Pasar
Minggu outlet was burnt down during the May riots and has not
reopened since.
Tommy early this year sold his entire share in Goro to Puskud,
a government cooperative movement.
Beddu was replaced in August amid growing accusations of gross
inefficiency and corruption within the state agency.
Tommy is also facing a class-action lawsuit filed by the
Movement of Concerned Citizens on State Assets (Gempita) over his
Timor national car.
Gempita said that Timor had enjoyed privileged business
facilities from the government.
PT Timor Putra Nasional was appointed by the government in
1996 as the sole company to develop a "national car" program. The
designation allowed the company to enjoy luxury tax and import
duty breaks.
Timor's privileges were dismantled just before Soeharto
resigned and the government of President B.J. Habibie is now
seeking to recover all the import duties that should have been
paid by Timor. (byg)