Wealth probe here

Wealth probe here

From Merdeka

Former president Soeharto's visit to the Attorney General's Office can be equated to a political game between people who have had a relationship before. The name of the game is to act in defense of Soeharto. We feel pessimistic about the prospects of finding Soeharto's money abroad because he has certainly learned a lot from his predecessors like Marcos.

Therefore, in order to get results we had better investigate Soeharto's wealth in Indonesia, including the riches of his children, relations and cronies. We still have hope of success with one of Soeharto's close associates, namely Bob Hasan. Cornered by a well-organized investigation, Bob Hasan would surely be able to explain about money belonging to Soeharto in his hands, both here and abroad. Precautions should therefore be taken to prevent Bob Hasan from going abroad.

We must remember that the wealth of Soeharto and his family in Indonesia is enormous. Returned to the government, it would banish worries about financing the purchase of enough of the nine basic commodities to go round. So, in the first place, we should set out to trace the domestic wealth of Soeharto, his relatives and cronies. We must bear in mind that left untouched, their riches would last for several generations to come, while over the same intergenerational gap, ordinary Indonesians will be burdened with repaying foreign loans granted recently to save the country from disaster.

H.G. MALIKMASS

Ciputat, West Java