Probe into Soeharto's wealth halted<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General Office said on Thursday it
\nwould halt investigations into alleged corruptions of ailing
\nformer president Soeharto until he completely recovered, and
\nwould even abort the inquiry if he died.<\/p>\n
\"The Attorney General Office, in its corruption probe against
\nSoeharto, takes a strict but also humane stance. If Soeharto is
\nsick, the probe will be postponed,\" said acting Attorney General
\nIsmudjoko as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
\"Even a prisoner, if he gets sick, will be treated well.
\nMoreover this is a former president, and the case against him is
\nstill in the (early) stage,\" Ismudjoko said.<\/p>\n
Separately, office spokesman Soehandoyo was quoted by Reuters
\nas saying Suharto's stroke signified the inquiry would be delayed
\nand aborted if he died.<\/p>\n
\"We will delay the prosecution until he is 100 percent
\nhealthy,\" he told Reuters. \"According to article 77 of the
\nCriminal Code, the right of prosecution is aborted if the suspect
\ndies.\"<\/p>\n
Soeharto was admitted to state-owned Pertamina hospital on
\nTuesday after suffering a mild stroke. Doctors said his condition
\nwas gradually improving.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office is investigating allegations
\nthat Soeharto illegally amassed a US$15 billion fortune during
\nhis 32 years of tough, army-backed rule.<\/p>\n
The officials' remarks about the postponement of the inquiry,
\nhowever, were not welcomed by Soeharto's chief lawyer Juan Felix
\nTampubolon. He said on Thursday afternoon Soeharto's ill health
\nshould not be cited as the reason for delay.<\/p>\n
\"The authorities should link them (ill health and delay). If
\nthat is the reason, it's really out of proportion,\" he said as
\nquoted by Antara. He added investigations regarding his client
\nshould have been halted a long while ago, because there was no
\nsupporting evidence to the claims of graft.<\/p>\n
Tampubolon also said his team continued to press Soeharto's
\nsuit against Time magazine for its report about the allegedly
\nill-gotten wealth. \"There's no delay,\" he said. \"They should be
\nresponsible for their stories.\"<\/p>\n
Separately, President B.J. Habibie said he wished to visit
\nSoeharto at the hospital, but would only do so if the doctors and
\nSoeharto's children agreed.<\/p>\n
\"Doctors are considering whether it is now time for President
\nHabibie to visit Pak Harto,\" Minister of Justice\/State Secretary
\nMuladi said, adding that Habibie and Soeharto had \"emotional\"
\nties that might affect the latter if the two met.<\/p>\n
Muladi said the President, however, monitored Soeharto's
\ncondition \"second by second, and minute by minute\". Muladi said
\nhis remarks should dispel any opinions that Habibie was not
\nconcerned about Soeharto's health.<\/p>\n
Muladi's statement concerning Habibie's request to seek
\nHabibie via permission from Soeharto's children irritated
\nTampubolon. The lawyer said on Thursday afternoon the Soehartos
\nwere open to anyone. \"I just don't understand why there should be
\nstatements like that.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, doctors at Pertamina hospital said that Soeharto's
\ncondition was improving, but that he would be required to spend
\n\"several more days to two weeks\" to undergo further medical
\nexaminations.<\/p>\n
\"According to a brief report from Pak Harto's medical team,
\nhis ability to speak has been improving, his strength is also
\nimproving although he still inarticulate,\" Sudjono Martoatmodjo,
\ndirector of the hospital, said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"He's still undergoing physiotherapy (exercises) for his hands
\nand feet. He has begun to eat soft food,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Chief of Soeharto's doctors team, Ibrahim Ginting, said later
\nin the afternoon that it was impossible for Soeharto to leave the
\nhospital in the near future as stated by Hamzah Haz, chairman of
\nthe United Development Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
Hamzah visited Soeharto earlier in the morning and told
\nreporters that the former strongman would probably leave the
\nhospital on Friday.<\/p>\n
But Ibrahim insisted his patient still needed a few more days,
\nbut not more than two weeks, at the hospital.<\/p>\n
\"Hopefully Soeharto can sit in a wheelchair by tomorrow
\n(Friday),\" he said.<\/p>\n
At 10:15 a.m., Soeharto was brought to the hospital's Magnetic
\nResonance Imaging (MRI) room for a radiology examination.<\/p>\n
Dr. Ibrahim Ginting and several medical practitioners escorted
\nthe VVIP patient, who was wheeled in on a cot, accompanied by his
\nyoungest daughter Siti Hutami \"Mamik\" Endang Adiningsih.<\/p>\n
After 40 minutes in the room, the hospital's radiologist
\nKoenindro Dadi told reporters his team had examined Soeharto's
\njoints, spinal cord and brain.<\/p>\n
The MRI examination's purpose was to provide supporting data
\nfor Soeharto's team of doctors.<\/p>\n
\"It's the team who will determine the former president's
\nhealth condition,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tampubolon, who was with the former president late Thursday
\nsaid: \"His face is much brighter and ... he could smile. He could
\nsit on his bed, but doctors always prevented him from doing so.\"<\/p>\n
\"I hope he can leave the hospital by tomorrow,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Tampubolon said Soeharto's daughter Siti Hediyati Prabowo had
\nvisited her father on Thursday afternoon, after a long flight
\nfrom Boston, in the United States. (04\/asa\/prb\/swe)<\/p>",
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