By Ainur Rohmah

JAKARTA

An educational foundation set up by former president Suharto has been ordered to return around $324 million in funds that a court ruled it had embezzled from the Indonesian state.

Court spokesperson Suhadi - who like many Indonesians uses only one name - told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that the Supreme Court had ruled, however, that the huge sum must be returned by the Supersemar Foundation, and not by the dictator's family.

"Only the Supersemar Foundation [were convicted]," he said, adding that as the foundation did not have the funds, he expected its assets to be confiscated by the prosecutor.

A 2008 civil lawsuit filed by the Attorney General's Office had alleged that although the foundation was established to provide scholarships to children from poor families, the dictator's family had used it to embezzle government money.

Harifin Tumpa - a former chief at the Supreme Court - added that the foundation was solely sentenced as "the manager of money is the foundation, so the party who has to take responsibility is the manager."

When contacted by Anadolu Agency, foundation lawyer Denny Kailimang refused to comment on the decision.

Suharto's son, Hutomo Mandala Putera, tweeted that the scholarship was set up to finance "the education of the country's sons, not finance communists."

"Even in your own neighborhood, there are some of the scholarship recipients," he added.

During his 32 years of rule, Suharto - who died in 2008 - was accused of massive corruption and nepotism, much of which is suspected of going to his family and cronies. 

He died in 2008, ten years after widespread protests brought an end to his presidency.