Louise Williams, Jakarta – Thousands of student protesters occupied the grounds of the Attorney-General's office in Jakarta yesterday, demanding the trial of former president Soeharto, after immigration officials confirmed Mr Soeharto's youngest son had been banned from leaving Indonesia pending a corruption inquiry.
Student leaders said they were switching tactics from the massive anti-Government street protests of recent weeks, fearing anarchy in the capital, after 14 died and scores were injured in attacks by Muslim mobs on Christians and churches on Sunday.
The students said they were not satisfied with the progress of the Attorney-General's investigation, nor confident a new commission announced by the President, Dr B.J. Habibie, would take firmer action.
The Attorney-General, Mr Andi Ghalib, has responded to public calls for Mr Soeharto to be placed under house arrest during inquiries by saying: "If he is available at any time and can be questioned and doesn't complicate the inquiry ... what's the point of an arrest?"
But immigration officials have confirmed a one-year travel ban has been imposed on Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, who ran a business empire worth an estimated $US600 million ($930 million) during his father's rule.
Officials of the Attorney-General's office questioned Tommy on Monday over a 52.5 billion rupiah ($12.5 million) land scam in north Jakarta. Mr Soeharto's second son, Bambang Trihatmodjo, is also facing charges over banking crimes, linked to claims that he and his partners exceeded the legal lending limit and lent depositors' funds to their own businesses.
Tommy is being investigated over the sale of a State property to giant supermarket chain, PT Goro Batara Sakti, in which he held a stake. The National Logistics Agency (BULOG), which owned the original property, was to receive a 63-hectare plot in north Jakarta in exchange for its land and buildings under the contract signed with Goro.
But the Attorney-General's spokesman, Mr Barman Zahir, said BULOG had received only eight of the 63 hectares, and even that land was bought using a bank loan provided to Goro but guaranteed by BULOG. The State enterprise then paid 32.5 billion rupiah for the remaining land using public money.
The issue of land swaps, in which valuable government property has been traded for less valuable land or not paid for at all, is one mechanism allegedly used by Mr Soeharto's political elite for their own gain.
Tommy is also facing a lawsuit over his Timor car project which received exclusive tax and tariff concessions from the Government but failed to comply with an agreement on local content intended to boost Indonesia's car industry.