Soeharto's defense team okays foreign doctors<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto's defense team said on
\nTuesday it had no objection to foreign doctors being used to give
\nanother opinion of their client's health.<\/p>\n
Mohamad Assegaf said judges might ask for a checkup by foreign
\ndoctors if they found that the assessments made by Soeharto's
\nprivate medical team and the state-appointed team from Cipto
\nMangunkusumo General Hospital doctors were insufficient.<\/p>\n
\"By hiring foreign doctors, the judges can make a comparison,\"
\nAssegaf said on the sidelines of the questioning of a military
\nofficer allegedly implicated in human rights abuses in East Timor
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
However, he said, such a measure could backfire on the
\ngovernment because it would strengthen current public distrust of
\nthe local doctors' independence and reputation.<\/p>\n
\"It's ironic when you have to turn to foreign doctors because
\nyou don't believe in the independency of the doctors examining
\nSoeharto's health. I remind you that all doctors based on their
\ncode of ethics are independent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Controversy over the state of Soeharto's health arose
\nfollowing the much-awaited Aug. 31, 2000, corruption hearing,
\nwhich the 79-year-old former ruler failed to attend.<\/p>\n
His lawyers claimed that Soeharto was mentally and physically
\nunable to undergo any legal process after suffering three strokes
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
A senior member of Soeharto's private medical team, Teguh A.S.
\nRanakusuma, however, insisted that his team of doctors had never
\nrecommended that the former president not appear at his trial.<\/p>\n
Judges at the South Jakarta District Court decided to adjourn
\nthe hearing until Sept. 14 to hear assessments from both
\nSoeharto's doctors and the Cipto's of whether the former ruler
\nwas able to face trial.<\/p>\n
Noted lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis suggested on Monday that the
\njudges appoint a team of foreign doctors to conduct a medical
\nexamination of Soeharto in order to give a second opinion of the
\nrecent assessments.<\/p>\n
Assegaf said an assessment by foreign doctors would be no
\ndifferent from the ones already made by the two teams of doctors.<\/p>\n
\"The examinations were conducted using equipment that resulted
\nin graphs, images and diagrams. All the doctors did was read the
\nresults and assess them.<\/p>\n
\"The devices cannot lie. And, at the upcoming hearing, all
\ndoctors can judge whether their colleagues who examined Soeharto
\nwrongly interpreted the results of the tests or not,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soeharto is alleged to have misused some Rp 1.4 trillion and
\nsome US$416 million of public funds which were under the control
\nof the seven charitable foundations he ran, by channeling them to
\nthe businesses of his family and friends. (bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soehartos-defense-team-okays-foreign-doctors-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}