Doctors, prosecutors differ on status, Soeharto thrives<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office (AGO) claimed on Wednesday that it
\nhad ordered another medical examination for former president
\nSoeharto in a bid to reactivate the prosecution case against him
\non corruption charges.<\/p>\n
Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Sudhono Iswahyudi
\nsaid, \"On Dec. 15, we asked the (South Jakarta) prosecutor's
\noffice to send a team of doctors to examine HMS again,\" he said,
\nreferring to Soeharto. He added that the job had been assigned to
\ndoctors from the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM).<\/p>\n
Despite an earlier medical report suggesting that Soeharto was
\nunlikely to regain his full faculties, Sudhono said that the move
\nhad been taken in the light of media reports saying that Soeharto
\nwas actually in good health.<\/p>\n
However, to the surprise of many, he then claimed the Attorney
\nGeneral's Office lacked the money to pay for Soeharto's medical
\nexamination, which he predicted could reach Rp 200 million.<\/p>\n
Despite Sudhono's statement, RSCM director Merdias Almatsier
\ntold The Jakarta Post that the hospital management had so far
\nonly received a letter from the prosecutors asking about
\ndevelopments regarding the former president's health.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, we don't know anything about it as we're not
\nresponsible for monitoring his health. He has his own team of
\nphysicians,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Merdias, his subordinates has told prosecutors
\nthat the RSCM has no records on Soeharto's recent health, but
\nadded they would examine him if directed to.<\/p>\n
Juan Felix Tampubolon, Soeharto's lawyer, questioned the
\nprosecutors move to reassess his client's health.<\/p>\n
\"Earlier examinations showed that my client suffered permanent
\nbrain damage. Don't they have other things to do?\" he asked,
\nadding that all the prosecutors had to do was check his client's
\nmedical records.<\/p>\n
In August 2002, a team of 20 physicians from the RSCM declared
\nthat Soeharto was suffering from aphasia -- the total or partial
\nloss of the ability to use and understand words.<\/p>\n
Akmal Taher, the team leader, said that Soeharto was incapable
\nof putting more than four words together and could not understand
\nlong sentences as he had suffered \"permanent brain damage due to
\nhis previous medical history of strokes\", which limited his
\nability to communicate with others.<\/p>\n
However, Soeharto has twice visited his youngest son, Hutomo
\n\"Tommy\" Mandala Putra, who is serving a 15-year jail term on the
\nNusakambangan prison island off Java for ordering the murder of a
\nSupreme Court justice,<\/p>\n
Recently, R. Hartono, a retired general who leads the Concern
\nfor the Nation Functional Party (PKPB), disclosed that Soeharto,
\nwhen consulted, had made suggestions regarding the name of the
\nparty. He had also remarked on the party's nomination of his
\ndaughter, Siti \"Tutut\" Hardiyanti Rukmana, as its candidate in
\nthe presidential election.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors accuse Soeharto of enriching himself and his
\nrelatives to the tune of US$600 million in state funds plundered
\nthrough a complex web of tax-free charitable foundations that he
\ncontrolled.<\/p>\n
His high-profile team of lawyers managed to convince the court
\nthat their client was too ill to stand trial. The Supreme Court
\nhas ruled that prosecutors may bring the case back to court if
\nhis health improves.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/doctors-prosecutors-differ-on-status-soeharto-thrives-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}