Stolen Assets
Sep 20th, 2007, in News, by PatungFormer president Suharto and stolen state assets.
A report issued by the “Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) Initiative”, a joint program of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Bank, claims that former president Suharto stole between 15 and 35 billion dollars of state funds between 1967 and 198998.
Suharto in 1965, attending the funeral of an assassinated general.
Not relying on Time magazine reports but using 2004 data from the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International the list reads: worldbank (PDF)
- 1. Suharto, 1967-98, Indonesia, $15-35 billion stolen, or 0.6%-1.3% of GDP.
- 2. Ferdinand Marcos, 1972-86, Philippines, $5-10 billion stolen, or 1.5%-4.5% of GDP.
- 3. Mobutu Sese Seko, 1965-97, Zaire, $5 billion stolen, or 1.8% of GDP.
- 4. Sani Abacha, 1993-98, Nigeria, $2-5 billion stolen, or 1.5%-3.7% of GDP.
- 5. Slobodan Milosevic, 1989-2000, Serbia/Yugoslavia, $1 billion stolen, or 0.7% of GDP.
- 6. Jean-Claude Duvalier, 1971-86, Haiti, $0.3-0.8 billion or 1.7%-4.5% of GDP.
- 7. Alberto Fujimori, 1990-2000, Peru, $0.6 billion, or 0.1% of GDP.
- 8. Pavlo Lazarenko, 1996-97, Ukraine, $0.1-0.2 billion, or 0.2%-0.4% of GDP.
- 9. Arnoldo Alemán, 1997-2002, Nicaragua, $0.1 billion, or 0.6% of GDP.
- 10. Joseph Estrada, 1998-2001, Philippines, $0.07-0.08 billion, or 0.04% of GDP.
Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will meet the World Bank president, Robert B. Zoellick, when he visits New York from September 22nd-26th to find out what the World Bank intends on doing with this information and how Indonesia might be able to help to recover some of the stolen funds. antara
10 Comments on “Stolen Assets”
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Sputjam says:
I believe the figures are exaggerated.
In most likelihood, suharto gave monopolies to his friend and families. These are the guys who plundered and looted. -
Rambutan says:
I believe the figures are exaggerated.
In most likelihood, suharto gave monopolies to his friend and families. These are the guys who plundered and looted.Wouldn’t make it any better, though!
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Dragonwall says:
The figures were far too exaggerated by these people base on conjecture without actual proof.
Why is Soeharto so confident and not making too much comments? There isn’t that much money for them to find. Money from Tommy doesn’t mean a thing.
If a smart lawyer making the defence will be able to simply get away with that without much arguments.Moreover if they have the proof they would have blown the trumpet all over and not sit there for it to rot. Being a government there is no difficulty at all for them to subpeona any of those evidence for the person to be charge in court for that crime. The problem is that they don’t have them at all and mostl of it are likey to be fabricated.
Much was heard but no action taken like the new AG is also another good for nothing BS. If they were in possession of such sensitive documents will they hesitate to take action knowing that there will be plenty of money waiting for them to get. Say what they like they are one of a kind, no difference. Tukang peras.
For them to put Soeharto on trial? Angin saja.
Those from the Kehakiman, the louder their voice the bigger the cut they are getting.
Politic is dirty when it comes to power and money. -
Janma says:
I have an american friend who grew up in Indonesia and during the fall of soeharto he was a veritible live broadcast on all the goings on, and he would expound on all the events as they transpired. We would all listen with baited breath because he loved to try out his own little theories on what would happen and what various events really meant.
Sometimes his theories could get a bit wild and speculative to say the least and I remember one day I was visiting him with a friend who is the editor or kep redaksi of Kompas newspaper… not a speculative sort of a fellow really… a professional journalist, and Kurt was trying out a new theory on that day… the “Soeharto doesn’t have any money” theory… he made Soeharto seem like a pawn at the mercy of the machinations of his children, friends, cronies, family.
By the end of it he had Soeharto living out a lonely old age not being able to afford to pay his electricity… it was quite funny really, should have seen Ninoks face! After he left Kurt turns to me and asks, “so who was that again? Your brother in law?”….
“That was Ninok Leksono, editor in chief Kompas” I told him… and close your mouth for goodness sake… don’t worry, he won’t print that! -
Janma, it is interesting to know that there are still people that are willing to accept the fact and reality in life.
When a person fall from a high position, there are people who used to be his/her cronies will start pointing fingers and saying his/her ill deeds. Behind the political scene it is very different. You have to resort to anything to make people happy and be able to control them. Once you loosen the grip you are finish like Habibie vs Soeharto at the time of his impeachment. He will soon fell victim to a lot of accusations. During his/her heydays those that surround him/her were busy grabbing what they could and that includes his family, friends, relatives, cronies etc and he could do nothing about them because any action taken will reflect his/her well being.
SIt is quite fortunate that soeharto still have his kin folks to accomodate him at Cendana and buddies like Mahatir and LKY still visits him.
How much can a person eat, use or spend. What kind of luxury would you asked for when you are of his age. He will eventually pass away as a pauper.
Like I said I am not pro Soeharto. But does anyone being an Indonesian, right down the heart, ever thought of what good he had done for the country? Of course there are bad times like in China as to Mongolia. But in Mongolia, everyone is happy now after everything is being straightened out. Not in Indonesia.
Those that were the actual culprits shy away, like what Wiranto said during Soeharto’s impeachment, that he will use his very effort to protect Soeharto and his family with what!. That was only a damned bullsh*t pretence. He together with his clique were the peran utama together with Habibie that tried to frame Prabowo and cause Soeharto’s downfall. They were all even promoted! F**k. what kind of crap If this is a democratic country and is constitutional these people should have been tried for high treason for undermining the country’s security. It was witness in many African countries and the eastern block. If Putin wants to put in more effort, Rusia will not break up. But he understands the difficulties in managing a huge country so all those went unscathed by his experience as the ex-head of KGB.
These, to what I see are just distraction so that attentions will be focused on Soeharto rather than on the people and internal affairs. You know that Indonesians are good with that, right. Like ‘Sekarang lagi sibuk, ngak ada waktu untuk urusan lain’. You will not be able to see anyone politican right now in Indonesia that is capable of overcoming all these problems at one go. even with SBY especially when his hands are tied and and not much help from his cabinets when those GFN were busy with their ‘urusan pribadi’. Those that were capable were not put into good use, whereas those blood suckers using money to buy a position were busy to realize their ROPI ( return of political investment).
This is so sad and really pathetic. I told my children that they should seek the highest education possible too endeavor their future and go out and get what they think they want and are capable of. Don’t let the Indonesian political happennings and the corrupt mind hamper their thinking. If Indonesia is not a place for them then go somewhere else.
I fully understand the Indonesians and the predicament of Chinese that came to America that is why the lawyers we are working with exerts every efforts of making these people migrating to ensure they receive the necessary help to enable their stay. But sometime these Indonesian attitudes doesn’t change. I hope the world could be a better place in the future.
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Pena Budaya says:
Do you know the owner of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah? It could be a start.
Does anyone care to investigate the recent divorce process of Suharto’s son? We are not talking about rubbish gossips, of course, but the multi-billions of “harta gono-gini”. It could be a start to investigate Suharto’s family assets, or not?
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Dear Mr Indonesia Matters,
This article is clearly defaming the Grand ol’ President of Indonesia. Please cease and desist your defamation, and send $100,000,000,000 to the Suharto Family immediately!
Yours sincerely,
Suharto’s rabid Gang of Lawyers.
PS. this is not a joke.
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Ditto Poerbo says:
I have to say, the corruption numbers.. it is exagerated. I do believe that Soeharto’s cronies and their families and his former gang of traitors who used to be his cabinet ministers (Ginandjar Kartasasmita, BJ Habibie, Akbar Tandjung, Harmoko, Wiranto, etc) – are the ones reaping, looting the wealth of the nation. These same gangs of thugs who think they run this country have been eloquently changing phrases and faces from time to time: during Soeharto’s time they were claiming as “His Trusted Allies” but entering the May 1998 downfall of the regime, these same people quickly turned into “Anti Soehartoist” “Reformers” and ditch practically any visible contacts with Soeharto and his family. (Well, some of them came back for greetings & blessings to Soeharto’s residence in Cendana many years after mid-May riot.. what a bunch of hypocrits).
These people have layers of masks and unlimited resources, and it is very easy if not convinient for a person like Wiranto or Habibie to sacrifice a bright, rising star like Prabowo during the 1998 turmoil and turned the latter into a scapegoat for everything-wrong in Indonesia. And how on earth Habibie have the guts crying on national TV “Pak Harto doesn’t want to see mee…” “I’ve tried calling him and ask for a chance to meet him but he said to continue my work..” (How dumb this Habibie is? Off course Soeharto wouldn’t see him. To Soeharto and his family, Habibie will always be a traitor).
And now Soeharto is dead sick.
And I don’t think the UN or World Bank or any Indonesian President will ever find this “treasure”.
And I am extremely disturbed that even established International Organizations like UN and World Bank can issued such amount of figures of some so-called dictators without sufficient evidence. Anyway, talking about international organizations will mean that you will enter another powerplay games. And this time, we are not dealing with just a gang of traitors, because these organizations are capable to ruin countries, make up and break up governments, topple a junta, reinstated a president, turned the economy upside down.Last but not least: I don’t think those UN – World Bank report will do any good to Indonesians, anyway.
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When you are dynamci like a dynamite, your political and allies called youan allie. But when you are down they will turn into dynamite and treat you like a foe.
These foes simply need to indoctrinate the public in general by pointing out several of the weak points and injected adrenalin into them to spurn them.
It was Soeharto’s greatest mistake by not being harsh. Especially the West were ever eager to be good ggod friend of Indonesia by ridding what they think is their hindrance in progress or getting what they want.
All these bunch of traitors and traitors are betraying the trust of the Indonesians by taking 100 and giving 10 to the public. They will bagi bagi on the 90. Whoever they are right now, they will put their trusted people so that secrets don’t leak for sure. Lets take Taufik Kiemas for example on how he also enrich himself during the term of Mega. Then there were accusation and they just subside.
INDONESIA IS ON THE PATHETIS ROAD OF NO RETURN……
Like in the AG Office, they have plenty of cases lying waiting to be filed and have these people indicted but it just sits there waiting to rot in the flood. Later on it is the story of BUKTINYA SEMUA DIBAKAR, DIRUSAK BANJIR,HILANG ETC..ETC…MAJU TERUS KORUPSI…. whoever the person is the AG or Minister of Justice..Damn f88k**g useless scumbags.
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What about the 1990s? Shouldn’t “1989” be 1998, when he resigned?