Tunky grilled over Timor car

JAKARTA (JP): Key associates of former president Soeharto were questioned at the Attorney General's Office on Tuesday, a day before Soeharto himself was due to answer accusations of corruption.

Former minister of trade and industry Tunky Ariwibowo was questioned for more than five hours over the Timor national car project.

"In my capacity as (former) minister, I was asked to give information on the regulations and the implementation of the national car (project)," Tunky told reporters when he emerged from the Attorney General's Office, even as, outside the compound, some 300 students were demonstrating in demand of the prosecution of Soeharto.

Also questioned on Tuesday was Hediyanto, treasurer of the Dharmais Foundation, one of the foundations chaired by Soeharto during his 32 years as president. Hediyanto emerged from the Attorney General's Office after 30 minutes, saying that he was only asked to provide information regarding the foundation's funds and their uses.

It is not clear whether Tunky and Hediyanto were questioned as suspects or witnesses, but a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Barman Zahir, said on Tuesday that they would face further questioning.

Barman also said that Soeharto and Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, Tunky's immediate successor as minister of industry and trade, would be questioned on Wednesday at 9:00 a.m.

Hasan, a close friend of Soeharto, occupied the industry and trade post for only around two months. He was removed when President B.J. Habibie formed a new cabinet a day after he took over from Soeharto, his former mentor, on May 21, 1998.

Barman said that Hasan would be questioned over Soeharto's foundations. Hasan also owns shares and holds positions of authority in some of the foundations.

"BH (Bob Hasan) was summoned because, according to our data, he received a lot of funds from the foundations," Barman said, citing Hasan's PT Nusamba as an example.

Hediyanto said after his questioning that some of the foundation's money was kept in banks or invested in "certain companies".

"But there was also money for small companies, for example for a tea plantation, so farmers could finally buy shares in the tea factory and could earn profits, so that their incomes rose," he said.

Barman said that Soeharto would be questioned by Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Antonius Sujata and Deputy Attorney General for General Crimes Ramelan.

Hasan would be questioned by the head of the center for intelligence operations, Sudibyo Saleh.

The national car program was launched by Soeharto in February 1996 when Tunky was minister of trade and industry.

Under the program, a company controlled by Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, was given huge tax exemptions and a multi-million dollar soft loan from a consortium of 16 banks, including state banks, to produce the Timor national car.

According to a summons sent to Soeharto on Dec. 4, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, the questioning by the Attorney General's Office will focus on the funds held by several foundations that Soeharto chaired and on the tax exemptions granted to his son's company under the national car program.

A document issued by Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib on Monday said that the 1996 presidential decree Soeharto issued to authorize the national car project was designed solely to promote family interests. (byg/imn/21)