Soeharto fit to face questioning

Soeharto fit to face questioning

By Budiman Moerdijat and Kornelius Purba

JAKARTA (JP): A report from an independent medical examination
team indicated that former president Soeharto is healthy enough
to face questioning for alleged corruption during his three-
decade rule.

A source close to the state-appointed medical team told The
Jakarta Post on Wednesday that Soeharto was declared medically
fit after undergoing two examinations last week.

But he would not say whether questioning the 78-year-old
former ruler would be feasible since he has trouble speaking.

Attorney General Marzuki Darusman when asked by the Post to
confirm the report said that it was possible to assume Soeharto
was fit to face questioning.

"I have read the report and it is possible to conclude that
from the report of the RSCM medical team it is possible to hold
further questioning on Pak Harto," he said.

"However this probably needs further clarification with the
RSCM team of doctors," he added.

The Attorney General's Office received the report from the
state-appointed doctors on Wednesday. Earlier the six-member
medical team was seen visiting President Abdurrahman Wahid at
Bina Graha presidential office.

Hours later in a media briefing Director of Corruption Affairs
Chaerul Umam acknowledged that report had been received but
refused to divulge whether it had given a green light for
prosecutors to start questioning Soeharto.

"This evening the Attorney General's Office received a letter
from a team of doctors from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital
(RSCM) ... but we still can't announce what steps need to be
taken as we need to study the report," he told journalists after
abruptly taking over the media conference from Marzuki.

Chaerul said the meeting to study the medical report would
take place on Thursday.

"Let us have the meeting first tomorrow. It will only take
several hours and after that we will report to Attorney General
(Marzuki Darusman). He will be the one to announce what steps
should be taken," Chaerul said.

He added that the medical team was also scheduled to attend
Thursday's meeting "to explain to us the medical terms written in
the report".

"I do not know whether (the results) have been reported or not
(to the President). What is clear is that I have been at the
office all day and I am not reporting (anything) to anyone,"
Chaerul replied when asked if the President had received the
report.

Soeharto was examined by six doctors from RSCM twice last week
to determine whether he is fit to face questioning. The doctors
included an internist, a cardiologist, a neurologist and a
psychologist.

The decision to conduct an independent medical examination on
Soeharto was taken after the former president's lawyers insisted
that their client was medically unfit to undergo questioning.

He was twice hospitalized last year, once for a mild stroke
and again for intestinal bleeding.

Soeharto was named as a suspect for alleged corruption during
his rule after Marzuki decided to reopen the case in December.

Soeharto was summoned for questioning in February but failed
to appear for medical reasons.

Initially Soeharto missed a scheduled medical examination at
RSCM. But a turnaround occurred after President Abdurrahman
visited Soeharto at his residence on March 8.

Spokesman for Soeharto's lawyers, Juan Felix Tampubolon, last
week that his client would cooperate with the Attorney General's
Office if the medical examination verified he was fit enough to
do so.