Doctors to decide if Soeharto is fit to attend court

JAKARTA (JP): Defense lawyer Muhammad Assegaf said on Wednesday whether former president Soeharto attended his court session at the Ministry of Agriculture on Thursday depended completely on the latest medical examination of the former ruler.

"At about 9 a.m. on Thursday, doctors will examine Pak Harto and find out whether he is fit to attend the trial.

"We lawyers have no objections to his presence in court ... it all depends on Thursday's physical examination," Assegaf told The Jakarta Post.

"I did earlier say that my client would not show up on Sept. 14, but it now depends on the doctors and the panel of judges. If the panel wants my client to show up, then it's fine by us, provided our client is well."

Assegaf was replying to statements made earlier on Wednesday by South Jakarta District Court chief Lalu Mariyun, who said the former strongman must appear in court if his health was improved.

"If he's getting better he must attend the trial," Lalu said at the South Jakarta District Court.

Both Assegaf and another Soeharto lawyer, Juan Felix Tampubolon, had said the former president would not attend Thursday's hearing.

According to earlier reports, former president Soeharto's defense team has said it does not object to foreign doctors being brought in to give a second opinion on Soeharto's health.

"By hiring foreign doctors the judges will be able to make a comparison," Assegaf said during a break in the questioning of a military officer allegedly involved in human rights abuses in East Timor last year.

Soeharto's health has been the subject of much discussion since the 79-year-old former ruler failed to appear at the much- awaited Aug. 31, 2000, opening session of his corruption trial. Soeharto's defense team said poor health prevented their client from attending the session.

Soeharto's lawyers claim their client is mentally and physically unable to face a trial after suffering three small strokes last year.

However, a senior member of Soeharto's private medical team, Teguh A.S. Ranakusuma, insisted the team of doctors had never recommended the former president not appear at his trial.

Soeharto is charged with misappropriating some Rp 1.4 trillion and US$416 million of state money by funneling it from the tax- free charity foundations he headed during his presidency into the businesses of family and associates.

Meanwhile, in the wake of a blast at the Jakarta Stock Exchange on Wednesday, National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo said 12,000 police officers, including personnel from the riot police and the elite Mobile Brigade, would be placed on alert to ensure security in the capital on Thursday.

"We will provide maximum security should tension in the capital escalate," Rusdihardjo said in Bandung, West Java, on Wednesday, where he was attending a ceremony to install Insp. Gen. Yun Mulyana as West Java Police chief, replacing Insp. Gen. Adang Daradjatun.

"There will be more officers deployed on the streets of the capital to anticipate a sudden change for the worse in Jakarta," he said. (ylt/25)