Soeharto's illness

The health of former president Soeharto has again become a hot issue. A Bali Post reporter attended the wedding reception of Soeharto's granddaughter, Danty Rukmana, on Jl. Cendana, Jakarta, late last month. At the reception, the reporter saw Soeharto in good health. He walked without assistance, and talked with his guests just like someone in perfect health.

Actually, if we want to seriously uphold the law, or more clearly, to more seriously bring Soeharto to court, why should we bother with his reason of being sick?

Let the judges decide whether Soeharto is senile and which of his words can be used as a basis for a verdict. The uproar about Soeharto's health has reflected more the fear of public prosecutors to make Soeharto appear in court.

If we look at the cases the Attorney General's Office uses to prosecute Soeharto with, they are very trivial, namely cases involving the foundations that Soeharto once chaired. They are only administrative matters. Why aren't the financial sources of the foundations investigated? Aren't they related to the abuse of power? Aren't there any other authorities that Soeharto has abused during his 32-year presidency?

It's a legal comedy that is devoid of any funny elements but the impact has been deeply and widely felt on law enforcement.

-- Koran Tempo, Jakarta