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)