AS a businesswoman, Siti Hartati Murdaya is known to be close to the powerful. These assorted people have become her ‘support’ whenever she gets into trouble. For instance, Hartati, who is boss of the Central Murdaya Group, once wrote to Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, asking that the operating license of the forestry company, PT Intracawood Manufacturing—one of her companies—not be withdrawn.

At the end of last March, Hartati also wrot