Prosecutors want health check done on Soeharto

The South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office plans to request that a medical check on former president Soeharto be performed following reports that he appeared healthy when attending the wedding reception of his granddaughter Danti Rukmana less than two weeks ago.

Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Haryadi Widyasa told reporters here on Monday that the health check would verify whether the former long-time ruler was fit to stand trial.

Soeharto, who turns 81 on Saturday, repeatedly failed to appear in court on graft charges until the trial was eventually suspended in 2000 on the grounds that he was unfit to stand trial.

"We will take action in the coming few days to verify the report. We will ask an independent medical team to examine Soeharto," said Haryadi on the sidelines of a farewell ceremony for deputy attorney general Soeparman, who is retiring.

He said the state prosecutors were aware of media reports that Soeharto's health had been improving.

A reporter of the Bali Post daily posed as a relative of guests from Bogor, West Java, to gain entry into the bride's parent's house in Jakarta where the wedding reception was being held. The journalist wrote in his report that Soeharto followed the whole procession and later spoke with former Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Wiranto and former Army chief Gen. (ret) R. Hartono. -- JP