AN article in the Austrian business newspaper Wirtschaftsblatt, on August 3, 1998 caused quite a stir. It reported that former Indonesian President Suharto, had transferred billions of US dollars to an Austrian bank moments before he resigned from office on May 21 of that year.

The news seemed to confirm a report in Barrons, an American business magazine quoting a statement by David Hale, chief economist at Zurich Insurance. He said the former