JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Former Indonesian President Suharto, under investigation over claims he corruptly built up a private fortune, defended his wealth Friday and portrayed himself as a money-wise saver and landlord.
Suharto told Dharmais magazine, run by a charity he used to own, that $3 million found in his local bank accounts was savings from his presidential salary and rent from two houses.The houses, bought before he became president, were leased to foreigners who paid the rent in U.S. dollars, he said in the article.
"That money I collected and deposited in the banks, and every month it increased until it reached this amount of about 22 billion rupiah ($3 million)," he was quoted as saying.
Suharto's presidential salary is not known, but cabinet ministers currently earn four million rupiah a month -- $530.
Some analysts estimate Suharto and his family amassed a fortune worth $40 billion during his autocratic 32-year reign that ended in disgrace in May amid an economic meltdown and civil chaos that sprang out of pro-democracy demonstrations.
They say much of the money has been parked overseas.