Jakarta – Indonesian student protestors on Wednesday urged Attorney General Marzuki Darusman to speed up a government probe into the wealth of former president Suharto which has dragged on for almost two years.
The students, from the City Network (JARKOT) group, many of whom camped overnight at the attorney general's office, met with Darusman in an open field in the office grounds, witnesses said.
The students, who have threatened to expand their protest as the second anniversary of Suharto's fall approaches, asked Darusman whether or not he had the courage to bring Suharto and his family to trial for their alleged corruption and abuse of power during his 32 years in office.
JARKOT activist Yervis asked Darusman to prove he was "willing to prosecute Suharto." Darusman told the students his office would "prosecute Suharto as soon as possible," and said questioning of the former president's family members and cronies was underway.
"I support your demand because we are currently investigating Suharto. Legal actions which have been taken were questioning of Suharto, his cronies and family," he said.
Darusman said he could give no time frame as legal procedures had to be followed. Placing Suharto under city arrest last month – under which he is not allowed to leave Jakarta – was evidence of his office's determination, he said.
Suharto, now 78, is being investigated for alleged graft and abuse of power before he stepped down amid mass protests on May 21, 1998. He was questioned once on the graft charges at his home on April 3 but the questioning was halted on advice from a team of doctors. A second questioning session last month was also cancelled on medical grounds.
Darusman, citing new evidence, late last year reopened the probe into Suharto, which had been halted under former president B.J. Habibie for lack of evidence.
The probe has so far focused on Suharto's seven tax-free charitable foundations, worth some four trillion rupiah (526 million US dollars), management of which was handed over in late 1998 to the Habibie government.
Lawyers for Suharto have cited his ill health and inability to communicate properly as reasons for not answering three summonses for him to appear for questioning.
Suharto, who says he is not guilty, has sued US magazine Time for alleging last year that the Suharto family was sitting on wealth totalling some 15 billion dollars, much of it in banks or as assets overseas.