Soeharto undergoes medical examination<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto underwent a medical
\nexamination at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) in
\nCentral Jakarta late on Monday night to determine whether he is
\nfit to face questioning for alleged corruption.<\/p>\n
But close to midnight on Monday the independent team of
\ndoctors from the hospital had yet to present a diagnosis to the
\nAttorney General's Office.<\/p>\n
Soeharto arrived at Cendrawasih Pavilion at about 9 p.m.,
\naccompanied by three of his six children -- Siti Hardijanti
\nRukmana, Bambang Tri Hatmodjo and Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih.<\/p>\n
Security was extremely tight and the area was cordoned off
\nfrom journalists. About two dozen men guarded access to the
\npavilion from the parking lot.<\/p>\n
Patients in the pavilion were unable to leave as the gates
\nwere locked and guarded.<\/p>\n
Doctors would not go into detail about the examination.<\/p>\n
Neurologist Dr. Yusuf Misbach, who headed the team of doctors
\nfrom RSCM, when pressed for an account of the examination, merely
\nreplied: \"It was just a routine physical examination.\"<\/p>\n
He added that the examination room where Soeharto was seen was
\nalso just a regular hospital room.<\/p>\n
Soeharto, 78, left the pavilion at about 10:55 p.m.<\/p>\n
Wearing a long-sleeved batik shirt, Soeharto walked unassisted
\nthe 20 meters from the pavilion to a waiting Mercedes Jeep. He
\nbriefly waved and flashed a smile at journalists.<\/p>\n
Soeharto is under investigation for alleged corruption during
\nhis 32 years in power. But efforts by the Attorney General's
\nOffice to question him have failed, as Soeharto's lawyers have
\nclaimed the former president is too ill to be questioned.<\/p>\n
Efforts by the Attorney General's Office to have Soeharto
\nexamined by an independently appointed medical team twice failed.<\/p>\n
Minutes after Soeharto left the hospital, Attorney General
\nMarzuki Darusman held a media briefing at his office in South
\nJakarta to announce officially the examination had taken place.<\/p>\n
However, he could not say what steps his office would now
\ntake, as it was awaiting the final report from the RSCM medical
\nteam.<\/p>\n
\"Until now we have not received any report from the team of
\ndoctors as to whether or not there will be a follow-up
\nexamination,\" Marzuki said.<\/p>\n
\"There can be no decision on what steps can be taken until a
\ndefinitive report on Soeharto's health is submitted to us,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
When asked whether his office had imposed a deadline for the
\ndoctors to submit the report, Marzuki replied: \"There has been no
\ntime limit set by the Attorney General's Office.\"<\/p>\n
Soeharto's lawyer, Juan Felix Tampubolon, told The Jakarta
\nPost Soeharto underwent the medical examination on his own
\ninitiative.<\/p>\n
He said Soeharto had always wanted to cooperate, but due to
\ntechnical reasons he did not show up for previously scheduled
\nmedical examinations.<\/p>\n
Tampubolon previously said that on earlier occasions,
\nSoeharto's lawyers and medical team had not been notified by the
\nAttorney General's Office about the scheduled medical
\nexaminations.<\/p>\n
\"Then (last) Wednesday night we were called and asked by Pak
\nHarto to follow up on this request,\" he explained, without saying
\nwhether an afternoon visit that Wednesday by President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid influenced the decision.<\/p>\n
In preparation for Monday's examination, Soeharto's doctors
\nand doctors from RSCM met on Friday. (01\/emf\/byg)<\/p>",
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