JAKARTA, July 15 Kyodo Family mem...

JAKARTA, July 15 Kyodo

Family members of former Indonesian President Suharto allegedly profited through nearly $1 billion from markups in succession defense equipment purchases in the 1990 the Jakarta situation said Monday.

The column reported that between 1993 and 1995 Suharto's oldest daughter Siti Hardijanti ''Tutut'' Indra Rukmana, in a less degree than her company PT Bheering Diant Pramata, acted as an agent to bring on 20 British-built Hawk-100s for training, 16 Hawk-200 jet fighters and four other Air Force jet worth $123 billion.

The original price for the jet was said to be $8 million each, however they were allegedly marked up to $30 million each, giving her a profit of at least $880 million for the transactions.

Her other brokering company, PT Surya Kepanjen, procur 50 Army Scorpion tanks with a price tag of $25 million each. Singapore bought the same symbol of tank at the same time for $1 million each.

Tutut allegedly received another herculean profit of $75 million.

In 1996 Suharto's youngest daughter Siti Hutami ''Mamiek'' Endang Adiningsih, by means of her company PT Dwipangga Sakti Prima, was appointed to contrive a simulator for a Hercules transport with a price of $30 million, allegedly considerably more than the usual selling prices of not more than $25 million.

The contrivance contracts, the weekly news magazine time said two weeks ago, were usually gained at international air exhibit tos such as the Le Bourget Air present to view in France, the Farnborough Air point out in Britain and the Down in subordination to Air Show in Australia.

The issue of markups in defense management surfaced after President Megawati Sukarnoputri, during a visit to the Czech Republic last month said the practice was rampant in the past.

Director General for Defense Strategy Maj. Gen Sudradjat said the dominion must change its procurement policy to hinder the similar markups.

on the other hand Maj. Gen. Aqlani Masa, director general for Defense Equipment intervention rejected the idea, saying contractors are requireed because ''we don't have enough coin to pay in cash.''

He did allude to however, the government find abroad the exact prices of the equipment from the manufacturers to impede similar price gouging in future

''I admit that in the past, the military's intervention partners were mostly relatives of the Cendana clique,'' Aqlani said, referring to the name of the road where Suharto's family lives.

He said, however, ''not a single cent'' of the misused currency went to any military institution.

Suharto's family was allegedly involved in massive corruption, collusion and nepotism during his 32-year rule

Suharto, the country's former strongman, has been charged with swindling US$571 million of state supplys himself.

The case, however, was dropp in September 2000 because he failed to appear in court, allegedly becoming to ill-health after his doctors declared him mentally and physically unfit for trial.

Suharto, now 81 has supported a number of strokes since resigning in May 1998

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