The New York Times

Friday, February 11, 2000

Suharto Is Named a Suspect in an Inquiry Into Corruption

By SETH MYDANS

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 10 -- In what appeared to be a serious new effort to prosecute Indonesia's former president, Suharto, the government for the first time named him as a suspect today in a widening corruption investigation and summoned him for questioning on Monday.

Mr. Suharto's lawyers immediately responded that he was too sick to attend. The former president is 78 and was hospitalized twice last year after suffering a stroke. "He is physically and mentally unfit to appear for the questioning," said one of the lawyers, Juan Felix Tampubolon.

Taking a less deferential tone than investigators in the past, who had dropped an investigation of Mr. Suharto, a spokesman for the attorney general's office said illness was no excuse.

"Suharto is now named as a suspect, and we hope he'll turn up for questioning," the spokesman, Suhandoyo, told reporters. "We have also looked at the state of Suharto's health, and it seems to be improving."

The renewed move to bring Mr. Suharto to account appeared to be part of a broad policy by the new government of President Abdurrahman Wahid to address past abuses and begin building a new society based on civilian supremacy and the rule of law.

The former president, who was forced to resign in May 1998, is widely believed to have amassed billions of dollars in illegal wealth for himself, his children and his political associates. He has denied the accusation.

Despite public demands for an accounting, investigations under his friend and immediate successor, B. J. Habibie, seemed half-hearted.

Mr. Suharto was treated with elaborate deference when he was called to give evidence at the attorney general's office in late 1998. His questioners were former members of his administration.

Just before Mr. Habibie was voted out of office in October, those investigators announced that they had not found enough evidence to bring charges and closed the case. That highly unpopular move was one of the last factors leading to Mr. Habibie's failed bid for election.

Days later, Mr. Wahid's new attorney general, Marzuki Darusman, reopened the case, which involved accusations of the misuse of millions of dollars in seven charitable organizations controlled by Mr. Suharto.

"We will not tolerate any monkey business any more," Mr. Marzuki said at the time.

Softening the harshness of a possible trial of a former president, Mr. Wahid said later that if Mr. Suharto was convicted, he would pardon him if he apologizes and returns any stolen money.

Officials said today that they now also wanted to question Mr. Suharto regarding a failed national car project, in which he bent investment rules to favor one of his sons, and about lucrative monopolies in cloves and fruits that were run by his children.

Last year during Mr. Habibie's administration, Mr. Suharto's youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra, was acquitted of corruption charges involving a land deal. But he and other family members and friends remain under investigation for other deals.

An investigation and trial of Mr. Suharto was one of the loudest demands of students and other opponents whose demonstrations helped bring to an end his corrupt 32-year rule.

While overturning much of his legacy with a range of political reforms, Mr. Habibie appeared committed to protecting the personal welfare of Mr. Suharto, his longtime mentor.

Mr. Wahid's new administration is advancing on virtually every front to reform the government and to clear the ledger of past abuses that range from corruption to military killings.

The president is now engaged in a high-stakes standoff with Indonesia's most prominent general, Wiranto, who has refused his demand to resign as coordinating minister for security affairs.

The demand followed an accusation by a government commission that the general was guilty of human rights abuses in the violence that followed a vote for independence in August in the territory of East Timor.

That commission is just one of several investigations into abuses by the military during the years it acted as Mr. Suharto's enforcer.

Some analysts believe that Mr. Wahid is making a public example of General Wiranto because he symbolizes the old order. Like Mr. Habibie, he is a prot g of Mr. Suharto, having been appointed by him to be defense minister after serving for years as his personal adjutant.

On the morning Mr. Suharto resigned, General Wiranto made a public pledge to protect his interests.

Mr. Wahid is a contrast to Mr. Suharto in almost every way -- voluble where he was enigmatic, informal (and often barefoot) where he was solemn, welcoming public discussion and dispute, committed to democratic reforms.

Mr. Suharto gave only three news conferences in 32 years. Mr. Wahid seems to have something to say every day, if not every hour.

Now he seems almost to be taunting General Wiranto with new statements at every stop on a 16-day foreign tour, which will end on Sunday. The general says he is waiting for the president's return to plead his case.

While General Wiranto smiles gamely in Jakarta, saying little, the president alternates between expressions of personal regard and repeated, humiliating demands for his resignation.

The latest version came today in Seoul, South Korea.

"The best thing is for him to resign, and we can pay our respects to him in a capacity we will decide later," the president said of the general. "He will not be in the cabinet, but I still have great respect for him."

In what may have been a veiled threat, he added: "It is in the interest of General Wiranto himself because if he refuses to step down voluntarily, then the country will lose the opportunity to have investors, to have an economic comeback. It will not be good for his career later."