Indonesia sued Suharto, the former dictator, for $1.54 billion. Suharto fell from power nine years ago.

The Indonesian government has claimed that Suharto and his foundation stole $441 million from state institutions between 1978 and 1998. The government also seeks $1.1 billion in damages. Suharto has avoided criminal corruption charges by claiming bad health.  He is 86.

Transparency International has estimated that Suharto and his family amassed up to $35 billion between his ascent to power in 1966 and the end of his rule in 1998. Suharto pressed state banks, other government institutions, and Indonesian businesses to give part of profits to his foundations. Suharto claimed that he collected the money to give scholarships to poor children. Instead, prosecutors accuse him of diverting the money to his other family foundations and companies.

Mr Suharto’s youngest son, Tommy, and half-brother Probosutedjo are the only family members convicted of corruption.

Tommy (Hutomo Mandala Putra) served five years for ordering the murder of a Supreme Court judge who convicted him of corruption in a land scam. The government seeks to seize $48 million of his frozen assets.

Probosutedjo is serving four years in prison for stealing $11 million from a government reforestation fund.

For more information, please see:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/297a8c78-2df1-11dc-821c-0000779fd2ac,_i_email=y.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/09/suharto.sued.ap/index.html

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/09/asia/AS-GEN-Indonesia-Suharto-Lawsuit.php

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/17ADABE2-EFDB-4F91-BB7F-79431210A9A3.htm