Soeharto's health decline: Lawyer

Soeharto's health decline: Lawyer

JAKARTA (JP): With former president Soeharto's corruption
trial approaching, a lawyer said on Sunday the country's former
ruler was not healthy enough for the court proceedings.

Juan Felix Tampubolon, one of Soeharto's lawyers, said his
client's health had been on the decline since he was first
questioned over corruption allegations last April.

"I cannot tell you the details. But doctors said Soeharto's
physical condition and spirit have been decreasing," Tampubolon
told The Jakarta Post.

He said his client's age and uneasiness at being the target of
investigation were the main reasons for Soeharto's worsening
health.

The 79-year-old Soeharto underwent his latest medical checkup,
including a brain scan, on Thursday evening at the private
Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta.

"It's just a routine medical examination, which Soeharto's
private doctors had scheduled earlier," Tampubolon said, adding
that the results of the examination will be given to Soeharto's
family on Monday.

Soeharto reportedly has suffered brain damage as a result of a
series of strokes last year, when the former president was
hospitalized twice at Pertamina Hospital.

According to the results of medical examinations conducted
last May by both Soeharto's private medical team and an
independent team of doctors, the former ruler has some memory
loss and has lost some ability to comprehend complex situations
or statements.

Soeharto also was reported by his lawyers to be lacking the
ability to construct a logical sentence and to express himself in
complete and logical statements.

"Judging by his medical condition, Pak Harto is not able to
face any legal process, let alone a trial for a defendant who
must make himself clear to the judges," Tampubolon said.

Soeharto is accused of embezzling some Rp 1.4 trillion
(US$164.7 million) and about US$416 million in state funds, which
allegedly were amassed through his seven tax-free charity
foundations.

Soeharto's trial is scheduled to be held in the South Jakarta
District Court immediately after the ongoing Annual Session of
the People's Consultative Assembly comes to an end next Friday.

The former president also faces a criminal lawsuit which was
filed by activists from the Democratic People's Party (PRD) with
the Central Jakarta District Court on July 5, 2000.

The Rp 5.5 billion lawsuit also named 12 other defendants who
were allegedly involved in the kidnapping and disappearance of
political activists following the July 27, 1996, riots. Five
people died in the violence and 23 others disappeared.

The lawsuit claims PRD activists were kidnapped and tortured
by the military after being accused of instigating the violence
at the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters.

Judges hearing the case adjourned the initial court session on
Thursday over a technicality. The trial is now slated to begin on
Aug. 31. (bby)