Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07JAKARTA2674
2007-09-21 06:42:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Jakarta
Cable title:
IMPLICATED IN CORRUPTION CASE, PRESIDENTIAL
how-toVZCZCXRO3892 OO RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM DE RUEHJA #2674/01 2640642 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 210642Z SEP 07 FM AMEMBASSY JAKARTA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6383 INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4326 RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1223 RUEHPB/AMEMBASSY PORT MORESBY 3452 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0833 RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 1789 RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 0220 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHHJJPI/USPACOM HONOLULU HI
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002674
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/PD, INR/EAP, INL FOR BOULDIN
DEPT FOR EBB/IFD/OMA
NSC FOR EPHU
DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/A;EXANDRE/BERMAN
SINGAPORE FOR BAKER
TREASURY FOR IA-BAUKOL
DEPT PASS FEDERAL SAN FRANCISCO FOR FINEMAN
DEPT PASS EXIM BANK
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCOR ID
SUBJECT: IMPLICATED IN CORRUPTION CASE, PRESIDENTIAL
ADVISER VEHEMENTLY DENIES CHARGES
REF: A. JAKARTA 1059
B. JAKARTA 271
JAKARTA 00002674 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002674
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/PD, INR/EAP, INL FOR BOULDIN
DEPT FOR EBB/IFD/OMA
NSC FOR EPHU
DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/A;EXANDRE/BERMAN
SINGAPORE FOR BAKER
TREASURY FOR IA-BAUKOL
DEPT PASS FEDERAL SAN FRANCISCO FOR FINEMAN
DEPT PASS EXIM BANK
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCOR ID
SUBJECT: IMPLICATED IN CORRUPTION CASE, PRESIDENTIAL
ADVISER VEHEMENTLY DENIES CHARGES
REF: A. JAKARTA 1059
B. JAKARTA 271
JAKARTA 00002674 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: A special unit within the Attorney
General's office has reportedly implicated T.B. Silalahi--an
influential adviser to President Yudhoyono--in an ongoing
corruption investigation. According to media reports,
Silalahi allegedly received a house from a contact. Silalahi
has heatedly denied the accusation and there are reports that
the special unit may be backing away from making formal
charges. Any move to prosecute Silalahi would reflect badly
on the president's well-earned reputation for clean
governance. Bio notes on Silalahi are contained in para six.
END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) THE ACCUSED: According to multiple reports, a
Supreme Court special unit is investigating Presidential
Advisory Council member T.B. Silalahi for corruption.
Silalahi is accused of accepting a house and property in
northern Jakarta from former PT Asabri Director Henry Leo in
1996. (Note: PT Asabri is a military insurance company.)
At the time of the alleged transaction, Silalahi was serving
as the Chief of Staff for the head of the Army. In a
separate case, Leo is currently being investigated by the
Attorney General's Office on charges of misusing USD 45
million in funds specifically earmarked for housing
Indonesian soldiers.
3. (SBU) A TANGLED STORY: The story is a complex one. In
news accounts of the alleged transaction, Henry Leo's wife
claimed that her husband gave the house to T.B. Silalahi
after first purchasing it from a popular Jakarta hair
stylist. Silalahi then purportedly registered the house in
his son's name. T.B. Silalahi has strongly contested the
charges in several public statements, urging the media and
the public to allow the facts surrounding the case to come to
light before jumping to any conclusions.
4. (C) COLD, HARD FACTS LACKING?: There are signs that the
special unit investigating the case may be backing away from
formal charges. Yahya Rahman, the Deputy Attorney General
for Special Crimes, announced on September 19 that there was
insufficient evidence to charge Silalahi with a crime at this
point. According to Rahman, the house in question has
already been sold by Silalahi's son to another party,
complicating any efforts to build a case. While Rahman
acknowledged Henry Leo's claim that he gave Silalahi a house,
he noted that he would probably be unable to proceed further
without hard facts.
5. (C) WORRIES AT THE PALACE: Silalahi is the Defense and
Security policy advisor to the president and there is little
doubt that the Palace is very concerned about the accusations
being bandied about. Should T.B. Silalahi ultimately manage
to avoid indictment, President Yudhoyono will undoubtedly
breathe a huge sigh of relief. SBY has made fighting
corruption one of his signature issues and his administration
has had a fair degree of success in the area. Any sort of
linking of the president or his advisors with corrupt
activities does not help that effort.
6. (C) BIO NOTES: According to contacts, Silalahi, 69, is
an associate of underworld figure Tomy Winata. Given that,
many questioned the wisdom of bringing Silalahi into the
inner circle in the first place. Cabinet Secretary Sudi
Silalahi is his first cousin. As a member of the
Presidential Advisory Council (see Ref A for background on
the Council),he is one of Mission's best sources for
JAKARTA 00002674 002.2 OF 002
information on Palace affairs (Ref B). He was born in
Siantar, North Sumatra, in 1938 and is a Protestant.
Silalahi is married to Budiarti Ririe and has three grown
children. He speaks English fluently.
HUME
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/PD, INR/EAP, INL FOR BOULDIN
DEPT FOR EBB/IFD/OMA
NSC FOR EPHU
DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/A;EXANDRE/BERMAN
SINGAPORE FOR BAKER
TREASURY FOR IA-BAUKOL
DEPT PASS FEDERAL SAN FRANCISCO FOR FINEMAN
DEPT PASS EXIM BANK
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCOR ID
SUBJECT: IMPLICATED IN CORRUPTION CASE, PRESIDENTIAL
ADVISER VEHEMENTLY DENIES CHARGES
REF: A. JAKARTA 1059
B. JAKARTA 271
JAKARTA 00002674 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) SUMMARY: A special unit within the Attorney
General's office has reportedly implicated T.B. Silalahi--an
influential adviser to President Yudhoyono--in an ongoing
corruption investigation. According to media reports,
Silalahi allegedly received a house from a contact. Silalahi
has heatedly denied the accusation and there are reports that
the special unit may be backing away from making formal
charges. Any move to prosecute Silalahi would reflect badly
on the president's well-earned reputation for clean
governance. Bio notes on Silalahi are contained in para six.
END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) THE ACCUSED: According to multiple reports, a
Supreme Court special unit is investigating Presidential
Advisory Council member T.B. Silalahi for corruption.
Silalahi is accused of accepting a house and property in
northern Jakarta from former PT Asabri Director Henry Leo in
1996. (Note: PT Asabri is a military insurance company.)
At the time of the alleged transaction, Silalahi was serving
as the Chief of Staff for the head of the Army. In a
separate case, Leo is currently being investigated by the
Attorney General's Office on charges of misusing USD 45
million in funds specifically earmarked for housing
Indonesian soldiers.
3. (SBU) A TANGLED STORY: The story is a complex one. In
news accounts of the alleged transaction, Henry Leo's wife
claimed that her husband gave the house to T.B. Silalahi
after first purchasing it from a popular Jakarta hair
stylist. Silalahi then purportedly registered the house in
his son's name. T.B. Silalahi has strongly contested the
charges in several public statements, urging the media and
the public to allow the facts surrounding the case to come to
light before jumping to any conclusions.
4. (C) COLD, HARD FACTS LACKING?: There are signs that the
special unit investigating the case may be backing away from
formal charges. Yahya Rahman, the Deputy Attorney General
for Special Crimes, announced on September 19 that there was
insufficient evidence to charge Silalahi with a crime at this
point. According to Rahman, the house in question has
already been sold by Silalahi's son to another party,
complicating any efforts to build a case. While Rahman
acknowledged Henry Leo's claim that he gave Silalahi a house,
he noted that he would probably be unable to proceed further
without hard facts.
5. (C) WORRIES AT THE PALACE: Silalahi is the Defense and
Security policy advisor to the president and there is little
doubt that the Palace is very concerned about the accusations
being bandied about. Should T.B. Silalahi ultimately manage
to avoid indictment, President Yudhoyono will undoubtedly
breathe a huge sigh of relief. SBY has made fighting
corruption one of his signature issues and his administration
has had a fair degree of success in the area. Any sort of
linking of the president or his advisors with corrupt
activities does not help that effort.
6. (C) BIO NOTES: According to contacts, Silalahi, 69, is
an associate of underworld figure Tomy Winata. Given that,
many questioned the wisdom of bringing Silalahi into the
inner circle in the first place. Cabinet Secretary Sudi
Silalahi is his first cousin. As a member of the
Presidential Advisory Council (see Ref A for background on
the Council),he is one of Mission's best sources for
JAKARTA 00002674 002.2 OF 002
information on Palace affairs (Ref B). He was born in
Siantar, North Sumatra, in 1938 and is a Protestant.
Silalahi is married to Budiarti Ririe and has three grown
children. He speaks English fluently.
HUME