Soeharto medical check delayed

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.