http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=272556&version=1&template_id=45&parent_id=25
Court dismisses case against Suharto's son Publish Date: Thursday,12 February, 2009, at 12:08 PM Doha Time Tommy Suharto...freed JAKARTA: An Indonesian court dismissed yesterday a case against former president Suharto's youngest son involving his failed national car project, the latest blow in a series of bids to recover funds from the former first family. The government's attempts to recover money from the Suharto family are seen as a key test of its commitment to fighting graft in a country that ranks among the world's most corrupt. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, elected in 2004 partly on promises to tackle endemic graft, plans to run for re-election in July. The elder Suharto, forced to resign in 1998 after three decades in power, died last year. He accumulated a fortune estimated at $15-35bn, according to Transparency International, while his family and friends controlled much of the economy. Last year, the attorney general's office filed a suit on behalf of the finance ministry to recover 4tn rupiah in damages from Hutomo Mandala Putra Suharto, usually known as Tommy, and his companies, which include PT Humpuss. But a panel of judges at the Central Jakarta court said they could not find strong evidence proving that Tommy and his companies had violated Indonesia's civil law. Tobina Siahaan, one of the state prosecutors, said his office would appeal the decision. The court also dismissed a counter-suit by Tommy and his companies against Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, demanding 200bn rupiah in damages for defamation and a public apology. PT Timor Putra Nasional, set up by Tommy to build Indonesia's national car, defaulted on its loans to state banks after the 1997-98 financial crisis. The project drew criticism because it sold a rebadged version of South Korean-made cars. In 2003, Timor's assets were sold to a little-known company called Vista Bella Pratama. The sale was a breach of Indonesia's regulations as both the seller and buyer were controlled by the same individual, Tommy Suharto, according to the prosecutor. The sale was carried out by the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA), which managed Timor's assets after it defaulted on its debts. IBRA also seized the assets of many other Indonesian firms that defaulted. - Reuters [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
