Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The South Jakarta District Court has ruled that the Yayasan Supersemar, former President Suharto’s educational foundation, is guilty of misusing funds during the former leader’s tenure in office. The foundation is involved in training programmes and providing bursaries to students.
The issue came to a head after Suharto died last January. Judges were able to pursue the matter and found the foundation guilty, ordering it to pay back in cash at least US$ 385 millions to the Indonesian government.
“The foundation is found guilty . . . that’s why it is ordered to pay back in cash US 5,7 millions and 46 billions of Indonesian rupiahs to the country,” Chief Judge Wahjono told the court today.
The sentence is a serious blow to the Suharto clan. But for its attorney Juan Felix Tampubolon, the “verdict is baseless.” An appeal will soon be launched to overturn the court’s decision.
Some experts agree however with the court, saying that the foundation did indeed misuse funds, channelling them into various businesses like the Duta Bank and PT Sempati Air (both have been liquidated) or PT Kiani Lestari, PT Kiani Sakti, PT Kalhold Utama, PT Essam Timber, PT Tanjung Redep, HTI and the Kosgoro business group.