Search

Indonesia has no chance with suit against Tommy Suharto: lawyer

AFP - Wednesday, May 7

JAKARTA (AFP) - - An Indonesian government suit for more than 400 million dollars from former president Suharto's youngest son has no chance of success, Tommy Suharto's lawyer said Tuesday.

Indonesia's state prosecutor, acting on behalf of the finance ministry, has filed a civil suit against Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra Suharto for more than 400 million dollars.

Prosecutors allege that assets which should have been used to pay off state loans made to car company PT Timor during the Asian financial crisis were illegally sold at low prices to another of Tommy's companies.

But Tommy's lawyer, Juan Felix Tampubolon, told AFP the case had no legal foundation and was designed to justify the extension of a freeze on the businessman's assets in a European bank.

"Their suit is baseless as the transaction was made legally," he said.

A court in February rejected another civil case against Tommy for alleged corruption and awarded him 550,000 dollars in a countersuit he filed.

One of six children, Tommy served just a third of a 15-year jail term for ordering the murder of a Supreme Court judge in July 2002. He was released in October, 2006.

The high-rolling career of Suharto's youngest and favourite son did not survive the collapse of his father's dictatorship in 1998.

Suharto died aged 86 in January having never been brought to trial over persistent allegations of graft involving billions of dollars during his 32-year rule.

Recommend this article

Average (0 votes)
0 stars
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »

Related Articles: Indonesia

Related Articles: Asia Pacific