Soeharto ready to face trial, his lawyer says

Soeharto ready to face trial, his lawyer says

JAKARTA (JP): "Soeharto is eager to attend," Juan Felix
Tampubolon, one of president Soeharto's defense lawyers, said on
Tuesday to end speculation over the former ruler's presence at
the initial hearing on Thursday.

Many have doubted that the 79-year-old Soeharto would attend
the hearing due to his ailing health.

"However, it's up to the medical team to decide whether
Soeharto is fit enough for the initial hearing or not," Juan
announced at the Ministry of Agriculture in Pasar Minggu, South
Jakarta, the venue for Soeharto's trial.

His colleague, Mohammad Assegaf, said Soeharto's latest
medical examination would likely be held on Wednesday.

Both Juan and Assegaf believe the charges against their client
are weak, arguing that the case is a civil one.

"Soeharto was chairman of the foundations. Who suffered losses
if the foundations' statutes allowed them to give a loan to a
profit-making company?" Assegaf said.

Soeharto allegedly misused some Rp 1.4 trillion and some
US$416 million of public funds, donated to the seven charitable
foundations he chaired.

As of Tuesday afternoon, South Jakarta District Court staffers
were still preparing the venue. They had installed a raised
platform in the ministry's auditorium on which to set the judges'
bench, while the prosecutors' desk and dozens of wooden benches
for the public have been arranged on the floor.

The rear part of the auditorium will be used as the judges'
chambers, while a room right beside the auditorium will be used
as a waiting room for Soeharto.

The auditorium can only accommodate about 400 people, so the
seats in the "courtroom" will only be available for registered
spectators and journalists.

South Jakarta Police chief Supt. Edward Aritonang said the
police had assigned 400 police officers to guard the venue. More
could be stationed there according to the security condition
during the trial, he said.

"As a precaution, we have ordered the bomb squad to comb the
venue," he said.

Aritonang said his men would also be responsible for the
security of the route to the venue, while indicating that
Soeharto would arrive by car accompanied by a motorcade.

The secretary-general of the Agriculture Ministry, Nelson
Hutabarat, separately said that his office would not declare
Thursday a holiday, but would order employees to arrive at work
earlier that day.

Separately, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he had ordered the
National Police to take necessary action to prevent physical
clashes during the trial.

"No concentration of people near the venue is allowed. Rallies
will only be allowed at spots determined by the police," Susilo
announced after a coordination meeting on political and security
issues on Tuesday.

Also on Tuesday, about 150 protesters of the East Timor Seroja
integration fighters organization and dozens of activists of the
People's Movement Against Marzuki (GERAM) staged a rally outside
the Attorney General's Office compound, demanding Attorney
General Marzuki Darusman cancel Soeharto's trial, which they
consider defamatory toward a national hero. (bby/dja)