Attorney General: Indonesia will not drop civil suit against ailing Suharto
Indonesia will not drop a civil case against ailing former dictator Suharto despite a plea by his allies to do so as he lay seriously ill in hospital, the attorney general said Monday. Suharto's former political party, Golkar, sent out statements to various government institutions late Sunday, urging the abandonment of a civil case against the ex-president, who is in a critical condition though improving. The former strongman has been accused of embezzling billions of dollars during his iron-fisted 32-year rule, which ended ignominiously in 1998 as mass protests swelled and blood spilled with rioting on Jakarta's streets. Though accused by Transparency International of siphoning off as much as 35 billion dollars during his rule, Suharto has never been found guilty of corruption. "Suharto's case cannot be dropped as this is under the authority of the attorney general and such a move can only be taken in the public interest," attorney general Hendarman Supanji told reporters. He noted that Suharto's long-running criminal case had already been dropped last year due to his permanent poor health. "But the ongoing trial is a civil case related to the Supersemar foundation. Suharto is represented by his lawyers, while the state is represented by its lawyers through state prosecutors," he said. The state is seeking the return of assets and damages worth more than 1.4 billion dollars that Suharto is alleged to have misused while he chaired the foundation. Investigations into other allegations are continuing. "Dropping the case is not about clemency... As it is a civil case, even if Suharto died, it would still be continued against his family," he added. Suharto fell ill early last week at his home, where he has been a virtual recluse since his downfall, and was admitted to hospital on Friday with serious heart, kidney and lung problems. One of Suharto's six children told reporters at the hospital that the patient's condition continued to improve. "Thank God, father's condition is better, even though he has not yet passed the critical period because his organs are not yet functioning as normal and are still dependent on equipment," his daughter Titiek Prabowo told reporters. Asked about the call for legal proceedings against Suharto to be dropped, she said: "We, as a family, entirely leave this to the government under Mr. (Susilo Bambang) Yudhoyono. "We have faith that the president will take a sensible and wise decision by considering the services he has contributed to this nation," she added. Yudhoyono's government, which was elected on an anti-corruption platform, has already been criticised by activists for being too soft on the former president. The three other governments which succeeded Suharto have also been reluctant to press charges, indicating the ongoing respect and lingering influence he commands among the elite in Indonesia. Doctors also said Suharto's condition was showing "a lot of progress although his general condition is still weak," Marjo Soebandiono, the head of the team treating him, told a press briefing. Another doctor, Djoko Rahardjo, told reporters later that a blood transfusion aimed at boosting his low haemoglobin was proceeding. Suharto has been in and out of hospital for various ailments in recent years, including at least two strokes and stomach problems.(*)
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