Soeharto rushed to hospital as health worsens

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Ailing former president Soeharto's health took a turn for the worse on Monday, prompting his family to rush him to Pertamina hospital in South Jakarta for treatment.

Soeharto, whose youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra is in police detention on murder and other charges, was taken from his residence on Jl. Cendana No. 10 in the upmarket Menteng area in Central Jakarta by an ambulance already standing by in case he needed to be hospitalized.

One of Soeharto's aides, who asked not to be named, explained that the decision to hospitalize the former president was taken in a meeting between his team of doctors and members of his family at 5 p.m.

"Soeharto's condition worsened due to the high fever he has suffered over the last three days," the aide said.

The 80-year-old ex-general was conscious when he was wheeled into the hospital at 8 p.m. with an intravenous drip attached to his nose.

He was accompanied to the hospital by three of his children -- Sigit Hardjojudanto, Endang Hutami Adiningsih and Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana -- and his granddaughter Eno Sigit, as well as one of his private cardiologists, Juniarti Hatta.

Soeharto's deteriorating health was apparently caused by his insistence on continuing to fast during Ramadhan, which ended on Sunday, despite his old age.

He was later admitted to one of the VIP rooms on the hospital's sixth floor.

Charged with amassing a multibillion dollar fortune during his 32-year rule, Soeharto has suffered several strokes since being toppled from the presidency in May 1998 after mass demonstrations.

He was so ill that he could not attend Idul Fitri prayers on Sunday at his residence, where only a few people took part.

Meanwhile, Tommy, who is now in police custody after being on the run for more than a year, did not participate in the Idul Fitri celebrations with Soeharto's extended family at the Cendana residence on Sunday, as police did not give him permission to go.

Instead, he performed the Idul Fitri prayers at the compound of the detention center of the Jakarta Police.

"We only allowed Tommy a visit from his family at the detention center," said Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb after Idul Fitri prayers at the Jakarta Police Headquarters.

Tommy's wife, Ardhia Pramesti "Tata" Regita Cahyani, visited Tommy, along with his sister Hutami Endang Adiningsih and his two children, Dharma and Radiyana. Elza Sigit, Eno Sigit, and Tata's sisters were also observed in the entourage.

Tata made no comment to the reporters who jostled and bombarded her with many questions in front of the police detention center.

Sofjan subsequently gave permission for Tommy to visit his father on Monday.

"We give the permission for 'humanitarian reasons', as his father is in a critical condition," he said.

However, Tommy refused to take up the offer as the police demanded that he be handcuffed, Sofjan said.