---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ and click banner our sponsor ---------------------------------------------------------- Half brother comes to the defence of former president Suharto, family JAKARTA, Dec 18 (AFP) - A half brother of former Indonesian president Suharto has come to his defence against critics' charges that he is still pulling the strings behind the government of his successor, President B.J. Habibie, the state Antara news agency said Friday. "Suharto has never done that and I have directly asked him the question to Suharto himself," businessman Probosutejo (eds: one name) said. He added that the same went for allegations that Suharto was controlling the actions of armed forces chief General Wiranto, his former adjutant. Habibie, Suharto's former vice president and protege, says he sees Suharto as "almost like my father" but denies that the fallen president is calling the shots. One politician, respected moderate Moslem leader Abudrrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, said this week that Suharto held a strong influence on a number of officials and followers, and therefore should also be included in any dialogue aimed at national reconciliation. Probosutejo also defended Suharto's six children, who have vast business interests in every sector of the economy, by saying that they had merely been used by people in their business ventures. "What can his children do, they are not even so good in business. These Suharto children have only been used by bad people," Probosutejo said. After Suharto's fall in May the Habibie government ordered a review of government projects to vet contracts believed to have been clinched through unfair business practices, including by companies linked to Suharto, his children and cronies. Suharto, according to Probosutejo, could also "understand" the student movement but believed that "there are already a lot of wrong analogies absorbed by the students in their actions." He did not elaborate. Students in cities across Indonesia, including in the capital, have been holding almost daily protests to demand that Suharto be brought to trial for corruption, collution and nepotism during his 32 years in power. Some also demanded his trial for past abuse of power. bs/kw/jal ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 18 Dec 1998 jam 09:32:24 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
