Soeharto must stand trial when he is fit, Lopa says

Soeharto must stand trial when he is fit, Lopa says

JAKARTA (JP): Former president Soeharto, who is scheduled to
undergo a medical examination before Monday, must be sent to
court if he is declared fit for trial, Minister of Justice and
Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa said on Thursday.

"He will be tried as soon as he gets well," Lopa said in a
hearing with House of Representatives Commission II for home and
legal affairs.

The Supreme Court recently upheld the South Jakarta District
Court's decision to delay the prosecution of Soeharto, who was
charged in connection with a US$571 million corruption case, and
to set him free from house arrest because of his ailing health.
The Supreme Court ordered the Attorney General's Office to
supervise his health care and cover his medical costs until he
was declared fit for trial.

A spokesman for the Attorney General's Office said earlier on
Thursday that a team of doctors from Cipto Mangunkusumo General
Hospital (RSCM) planned to perform an initial medical examination
on the 79-year-old Soeharto before Monday.

Lopa agreed that an ill defendant could not be tried, but he
frowned upon the court's decision that Soeharto's medical costs
should be covered by the government.

He also criticized the way the South Jakarta District Court
based its decision on Soeharto's previous medical assessment.

"The medical assessment should have only be taken as a
reference for the judge's decision," he said.

Asked to comment on the Central Jakarta District Court's
recent verdict on businessman Mohamad "Bob" Hasan, who was
sentenced to two years in jail for the fraudulent use of US$75
million in state money, Lopa said the sentence was too light for
a big-time corruptor.

"There is something wrong with the panel of judges who tried
the case. The very light sentence indicates that the country is
on the brink of collapse," he said.

In some cases, officials found guilty of embezzling between Rp
10 million and Rp 50 million have received heavier punishment of
between five years and seven years in jail.

He claimed that many judges had damaged the judiciary's image
since they frequently made decisions based not on legal justice
but on corrupt and collusive considerations.

"Court decisions are not for sale. Many people have been
frustrated in seeking legal justice," he said.

Lopa vowed to fight an all-out battle against corrupt judges
to uphold the supremacy of the law and restore public faith in
the courts.

"Give me a bit of time to prove it. I will launch a quick
operation in the near future," he said.

This was in follow up of his Feb. 12 declaration to discourage
judges from taking bribes.

"As a consequence, I'm ready to die fighting corruption, an
amoral deed that is prohibited by Islam," he said.

He called on the people, including legislators, to help report
corruption and collusion and provide him with evidence of
corruption. He said: "I will process any reports and evidence on
bribes. I'm available 24 hours a day for reports on corruption."

Separately, a spokesman for the Attorney General's Office,
Muljohardjo, said that an appointed team of doctors would assess
the results of the examination on Soeharto to determine whether
he should be placed in hospital.

"On Monday at the latest the doctors will take Soeharto to
RSCM and invite officials from the South Jakarta Prosecutor's
Office or the chief prosecutor to observe," Muljohardjo told
reporters at his office.

He said that the hospital management had appointed Irhamsyah,
RSCM's vice director for medical affairs, as leader of the team.

The hospital has entrusted him with the task of selecting team
members and arranging all technical matters concerning Soeharto's
medication, he added. (rms/bby)