Soeharto to be summoned again

Soeharto to be summoned again

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office will next week
once again summon former president Soeharto as a suspect over
alleged corruption after an independent medical report confirmed
that he was fit to undergo questioning.

"We will be issuing a new summons to Mr. Soeharto to appear at
the Attorney General's Office," Attorney General Marzuki Darusman
told a media briefing, confirm that the Soeharto's medical report
did allow for the questioning.

Marzuki said the date for the questioning had yet to be set
but added: "We will try to speed up the process and it (the
summons) may be some time early next week."

The statement came a day after the Attorney General's Office
received a report on Soeharto's health from an independent
medical team at Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM).

Marzuki said that "based on the report, we will proceed with
further investigations."

"The report of the medical team has made it clear to us that
further investigations are possible so we will be going with that
conclusion," he said.

A team of six doctors from RSCM conducted two physical
examinations on Soeharto last week to determine whether he was
fit to face questioning for alleged corruption.

The decision to conduct an independent medical examination on
Soeharto was taken after the former president's lawyers
repeatedly pleaded that their client was medically unfit to
undergo questioning.

When asked on Thursday to divulge the details of the medical
report, Marzuki refused, saying that "it would be violating the
limit of confidence (confidentiality)".

"I am not in a position to do that and I think we are
satisfied that we are able to conclude from the report that it is
possible to continue with the investigation," Marzuki said.

While Soeharto has been declared medically fit, there
continues to be speculation whether it would feasible to question
him as it is believed that the former president may have trouble
speaking.

"The circumstances of course may not be ideal but within the
limit of possibility and at the moment we have decided to
continue with the investigation," Marzuki said.

When asked what action the Attorney General's Office would
take if Soeharto failed to adhere to the summons, as he did in
February, Marzuki said he was "not anticipating any hindrances
and I think it is unnecessary to make too many presumptions."

Marzuki added that the Attorney General's Office would be
requesting that the RSCM medical team "transcribe the results of
the checkup" to Soeharto's family because "they are entitled to
know that."

Meanwhile, the Soeharto family lawyer, Juan Felix Tampubolon,
told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that his client would "honor"
the summons.

"We have said from the beginning that we principally are
willing to cooperate with the Attorney General's Office and if
they do send the summons, it must be honored," Tampubolon said.

Bambang

In a separate development, Soeharto's son, Bambang
Trihatmodjo, faced questioning at the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office
over the acquisition of textile company Kanindotex's assets.

The case is currently being examined by the South Jakarta
District Court.

Robby Tjahyadi, the former president director of the company,
filed a civil lawsuit at the district court in December against
Bambang's efforts to take over the assets.

The suit surrounds events following Robby's attempts to pay
back his loans to Bapindo Bank by selling PT Kanindotex assets.
Through business associate Johannes Kotjo, Bambang was then
reportedly offered the assets.

The assets were then taken over by Bambang, but Robby claims
that he never received compensation from Bambang.

Guarded by three bodyguards and accompanied by lawyer
Tampubolon, Bambang underwent questioning for about three hours.
He refused to speak to journalists as he left the building.

Tampubolon insisted that Bambang was not being questioned as a
suspect in the case.

"This was a preliminary session in which the prosecutors only
tried to dig for information about the case. He has yet to be
named as a suspect or a witness," he told reporters.

Bambang was summoned by prosecutor Jhonny Ginting, Sianturi
and Tonny Sinai.

"The office was proactive in inviting Bambang to gather
information about the case," he told the Post.

He confirmed that Bambang had not been declared a suspect.

"It is still a preliminary investigation. He was invited as a
source," he added. (asa/byg)