Soeharto's health check undecided

JAKARTA: State prosecutors are planning to check former president Soeharto's health later this week before deciding whether or not to reopen his corruption case.

Attorney General's Office spokesman Barman Zahir said on Tuesday that South Jakarta Prosecutors' Office head Poerwanto would hold a meeting with doctors from state-owned Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital on Wednesday.

"The meeting is aimed at establishing a medical team to assess whether Soeharto is fit to stand trial," Barman said.

Soeharto, who turned 82 last Saturday, was a no-show at his trial held in September 2000 due to ill-health.

The South Jakarta District Court decided not to pursue corruption charges against Soeharto in 2001 after hearing arguments from an independent team of doctors that the former dictator was mentally and physically unfit to stand trial.

Soeharto has been accused of misappropriating funds worth US$571 million during his rule for more than three decades until 1998. -- JP