DATE=2/13/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDONESIA-SUHARTO (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259114
BYLINE=GARY THOMAS
DATELINE=JAKARTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Indonesia's former President, Suharto, has
been summoned to appear for questioning Monday in a
corruption investigation. The ex-president's lawyers
say he is too ill to personally answer the summons.
As Correspondent Gary Thomas reports from Jakarta,
that claim has been met with official skepticism.
TEXT: Former president Suharto is scheduled to appear
before government investigators Monday to be quizzed
about the alleged vast wealth accumulated by the
Suharto family and their associates.
Investigators are looking into lucrative monopolies
granted to members of the Suharto family and their
friends, as well as the alleged misuse of charities
controlled by Mr. Suharto.
A summons to answer questions was issued to Mr.
Suharto last week. It is the first time the former
president - who was forced out in 1998 after 32-years
in power - was officially named a suspect.
A previous investigation, launched during the brief
tenure of Mr. Suharto's successor B-J Habibie, was
dropped for lack of evidence. The new government of
President Abdurrahman Wahid reopened the probe late
last year.
In a telephone interview, Attorney General Marzuki
Darusman said this investigation is based on new
evidence, as well as evidnece overlooked by the
previous probe.
// DARUSMAN ACT //
A bit of both, actually. Because there is so
much material that was not able to surface
during the last government because obviously
there was a political interest in suppressing
investigation. So we will be going out from
this newly discovered material, but also from
evidence that has come up during the last bit of
investigation.
// END ACT //
Mr. Suharto has continually denied any wrongdoing and
insists he is not rich. But the U-S-based "Forbes"
business magazine last year estimated the Suharto
family fortune at more than four-billion dollars.
Mr. Suharto's lawyers have already said their client
will not appear for questioning because of ill health.
Mr. Suharto is 78-years old and was hospitalized twice
last year, once for what was described as a mild
stroke and another time for intestinal bleeding.
Mr. Darusman said the law requires Mr. Suharto to
personally appear, and that he may insist on
independent verification of Mr. Suharto's health.
// DARUSMAN ACT //
There is a need to clearly verify that if he is
indisposed, then it will certainly have to be
based on authentic evidence.
// END ACT //
President Wahid has said that if found to have
committed a crime, Mr. Suharto can be pardoned if he
repents and returns any ill-gotten funds. (SIGNED)
NEB/GPT/RAE
13-Feb-2000 13:19 PM EDT (13-Feb-2000 1819 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
