Soeharto medical check delayed

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State prosecutors announced on Wednesday they had indefinitely postponed their order that former president Soeharto submit to a medical examination to determine whether his graft trial could resume.

The head of the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, Purwanto, also said a planned visit to ascertain visually whether Soeharto's health had improved had been postponed, because most of the former ruler's lawyers were concentrating on the murder trial of Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

Both father and son use most of the same lawyers.

The spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Barman Zahir, had said that a physical examination of corruption suspect Soeharto would be conducted on Wednesday.

This followed media reports that the former president appeared to be in improved health when he recently attended the wedding reception of his granddaughter, Danti Rukmana.

Though legal proceedings were begun against Soeharto, the former president never appeared in court because of what his lawyers claimed was poor health.

A medical team from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital told the court in October 1999 that Soeharto was physically unfit to be tried, and that his health was not expected to improve.

The Supreme Court, in 2000, ordered the court to suspend the legal proceedings against Soeharto, and the Attorney General's Office to cover the medical costs of the defendant until he was healthy enough for the trial to resume.

Purwanto said he and his staff would meet on Thursday to discuss their next step in the case.

Separately, Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan approved plans to resume the Soeharto trial.

"It is fine to reopen the trial because the Supreme Court never declared the case closed. If (Soeharto) is considered fit enough to stand trial, go ahead," Bagir said after swearing in new People's Consultative Assembly deputy speaker Cholil Bisri on Wednesday.

Bagir said people should give thanks if reports of Soeharto's improved health were true.

But Bagir, who issued the Supreme Court ruling suspending Soeharto's trial in 2000, insisted that the reports of Soeharto's recovery had to be verified by a government-appointed team of doctors.