Skip to main content

Indonesia Closer to Soeharto Millions


A Guernsey court on Monday approved an application by the Indonesian government to freeze tens of millions of dollars allegedly hidden illegally on the island by Hutomo Mandala Putra, the youngest son of the country's former dictator, Suharto.Jakarta's action is an intervention granted by the Channel Island royal court in a case where Garnet Investment, incorporated in the British Virgin islands and owned by Mr Hutomo – known as Tommy Suharto – is suing a branch of BNP Paribas for refusing to release at least €36m ($45.6m, £23.5m) and perhaps as much as €75m from its account.The court also approved Jakarta's bid to become a third party in the case, according to Marty Natalegawa, Indonesia's ambassador to Britain.The action by the bank and the Indonesian government is based on concerns that the money was obtained corruptly, Mr Natalegawa said.


Transparency International in 2004 put the former Indonesian dictator at the top of its list of 20th-century kleptocrats, estimating that he and his family amassed up to $35bn during his 32-year rule.Tommy, 44, was released from prison last October after serving five years of a 15-year sentence for ordering the murder of an Indonesian judge who had convicted him of corruption in connection with a land-scam case.


During his father's rule, Tommy became one of the most powerful businessmen in the country amid constant whispers over how he – and his siblings – were handed many lucrative contracts and businesses to run. In Tommy's case those included a now defunct clove monopoly and the company developing a national car.


Mr Natalegawa told the Financial Times the government believed the money in the account "is beneficially owned by the republic of Indonesia" because "it was obtained by corrupt use of power" during the Suharto era.Jakarta's lawyers presented some evidence to support their government's affidavit. "We're still building our case, however," the ambassador said. "We will present more evidence when the full trial starts on March  8."Salman Maryadi, a spokesman for Indonesia's attorney-general, said on Monday the corruption issue was secondary. "The best result would be that the court recognises Tommy's outstanding obligations and orders the money there be used to pay them," he said. "Whether the money was obtained corruptly can be dealt with later.


"Mr Natalegawa said that while €36m was the most commonly quoted figure for the sum in the account, initial data put the balance at €75m. "We still looking at this discrepancy, " he said.Mr Salman said Indonesia was keen to seize the €36m in the Guernsey account opened in the name of Garnet Investment because the authorities were not aware of any other assets."He is reportedly doing business here but we cannot prove that it is his money," he said. "And we did not go after the money in Guernsey until now because we did not know it was there until this case emerged."According to Transparency International' s Indonesia branch, Garnet deposited money with BNP Paribas in Guernsey on 22 July 1998, weeks after the fall of President Suharto in May.


Four years later, in October 2002, Garnet asked to transfer €36m, a request the bank refused. Three weeks after that Garnet tried to transfer £47,500 and €7,960 to Peter Amy, a Garnet employee, according to Transparency International. The bank also rejected the request.Todung Mulya Lubis, the head of Transparency International Indonesia, said BNP Paribas must have had good grounds to refuse the transfer requests. BNP Paribas in Jakarta on Monday denied any knowledge of the case while requests for comment from Tommy's assistants went unanswered.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

If Soeharto became National Hero

Three short years after his death, Indonesia's dictator Suharto has been   nominated to a shortlist to be designated a "National Hero." The final decision   rests with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. and any honors will likely be   announced on November 10, Heroes’ Day. President Obama is scheduled to visit  Indonesia around that date.  After Suharto died in January 2008, Indonesia's former dictator General Suharto   has died in bed and not in jail, escaping justice for his numerous crimes in   East Timor and throughout the Indonesian archipelago. One of the worst mass   murderers of the 20th century, his death tolls still shock... We cannot forget that the United States government consistently supported   Suharto and his regime. As the corpses piled up after his coup and darkness   descended on Indonesia, his cheerleaders in the U.S. welcomed the "gleam of   light in Asia." In the pursuit of realpolitik, U.S. administration a...

MUI Says Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah is Misleading

The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) said Al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah, which first appeared in 2000, is a misleading sect. The decision was taken after MUI researched the organization for the last three months."Up to 2006, this sect wasn't brave enough to appear. But starting in 2007, they bluntly spread their lessons to the public," MUI Chairman, K.H. Ma'ruf, told the press yesterday (4/10). For a sect that is only seven years old, he viewed, its progress is rapid. The structure is in order and the leaders easily attract public sympathy. Al-Qiyadah's leader, Ahmad Moshaddeq, whose real name is Haji Salam, said he was an apostle since July 23, 2007 after ascetic meditation for 40 days and nights in Bunder Mount, Bogor, West Java. "They even changed Islam to existing apostle or prophet after Muhammad, that is Masih Al-Mau'ud," said Ma'ruf.For gaining devotees, according to Ma'ruf, Ahmad promised rewards of a motorcycle for those who can recruit 40 ...

child sex workers in Bandung

A policeman, right, watches over two masseuses and their customers during a raid on suspected prostitution activities at a hotel in Changchun, in northeast China's Jilin province The Bandung authority is at loss to uncover cases of covert prostitution involving junior and senior high school students, whose number continues to rise in the West Java capital. Eli, a sex worker advocacy program mentor from the Rumah Cemara Group in Bandung, said it was hard to provide advocacy to teenagers involved in covert prostitution since most were not receptive. The number of those involved in covert prostitution is believed to be higher compared to commercial sex on the streets, she added. Eli has been providing support to more than 200 housewives and child sex workers over the past two years, around 20 of who are senior high school students between the ages of 15 and 16. "They are psychologically unstable at those ages. They are hard to handle due to their strong motivation to ea...