Soeharto's health check undecided

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