Soeharto health improving, say lawyer, former aide

Soeharto health improving, say lawyer, former aide

JAKARTA (JP): Soeharto's lawyer and a former close aide
insisted on Sunday that the health of the former president has
shown a significant improvement.

Lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon said on Sunday evening after
visiting his client in his Super VVIP Room No. 604 at Pertamina
hospital, South Jakarta, "He's improving. He already can
communicate properly. There is no more bleeding in his intestinal
system. No more IVs."

According to Juan, who represents Soeharto and his six
children in an ongoing investigation of their alleged corruption
activities, the former strongman would undergo no operations or
any kind of procedures as he had to have during last month's
visit at the same hospital.

"There's also no plan to have Pak Harto undergo medical
treatment overseas," the lawyer said.

Early on Sunday, Sudharmono, a former vice president and a
very close aid to Soeharto during his 32-year tenure, asserted
that Soeharto's health was much better compared to the previous
day, when he was admitted to the hospital by his children after
being diagnosed with intestinal bleeding.

"Pak Harto was able to speak a little but he is still weak and
is still in bed," Sudharmono, who served the country as
Soeharto's vice president from 1988 to 1993, said after about two
hours visiting his former boss at the hospital.

Sudharmono also visited the 78-year-old former president when
the latter was treated for 10 days at the same hospital for a
mild stroke last month.

Businessman Sukamdani Sahid Gitosardjono, a distant relative
of Soeharto, visited the VVIP patient after Soedharmono, and
echoed his words on Soeharto's health.

"The bleeding in his intestine has been halted," Sukamdani
quoted a member of Soeharto's medical team as saying.

Sukamdani said he did not directly meet with Soeharto as he
was still sleeping.

He said he only met with two doctors and Siti Hardiyanti
Rukmana, Soeharto's eldest daughter, at a VIP suite on the sixth
floor of the hospital.

The former president, whose wife Tien died of a heart attack
in 1996, has suffered from periods of poor health in recent
years. His condition has worsened in the past few months amid
strong calls by the people to President B.J. Habibie's
administration for a serious investigation into alleged massive
corruption committed by Soeharto and his relatives during his
three-decade presidential tenure.

Juan said he did indeed agree with a continuation of the
investigation into the accusation against his client regardless
of Soeharto's poor health.

"If we all really want to respect the supremacy of law, I
suggest the investigation be continued. There's no reason to stop
the investigation even though the accused person is ill," he told
reporters at the hospital.

But earlier in the day, he told The Jakarta Post by phone that
he strongly urged the government to halt its probe into
Soeharto's wealth.

"Months of government investigation into the former
president's wealth has not been able to provide sufficient
evidence, which proves that he did no wrong during his tenure,"
he said.

He recalled that he proposed the same request to the Attorney
General's Office in March to halt the investigation of Soeharto's
alleged misdeeds in gaining a fortune during his 32-year reign.

Juan said he endorsed the same appeal last month.

"The reason is clear: that the government has so far failed to
gather strong evidence. Also, by continuing the investigation,
the government is only enacting a violation of human rights,
since the government pushes on with its investigation process
against an innocent person," he said.

"Former president Soeharto has been tortured by uncertain
judicial processes, and they may have led to the worsening of his
health," Juan added.

The Attorney General's Office has pledged to complete a
thorough investigation into Soeharto alleged wrongdoing in
amassing a fortune during his 32-year rule before November's
People's Consultative Assembly's General Session.

The office is scheduled to deliver a report to President
Habibie next month. (emf/asa)