Prosecutors want health check done on Soeharto

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