State-appointed doctors to examine Soeharto soon

State-appointed doctors to examine Soeharto soon

JAKARTA (JP): A team of doctors appointed by the Attorney
General's Office will examine former president Soeharto at his
home later this week.

"The medical team has reported to Attorney General (Marzuki
Darusman) that it has finished studying (Soeharto's) medical
report and that the examination will be conducted this week," the
Attorney General's Office spokesman, Soehandoyo, told The Jakarta
Post by phone on Wednesday.

When asked to specify the date, Soehandoyo said: "The medical
team is still discussing the matter with the prosecutors".

Earlier in the day, Marzuki said that direct examination on
Soeharto was aimed at ending speculation about the former ruler's
health.

"We are going to verify (Soeharto's health) because what we
have now is only speculation," Marzuki told reporters before
attending a cabinet meeting.

Marzuki said last week that the state-appointed team of
doctors was scheduled to examine Soeharto at his home on Jl.
Cendana in Central Jakarta on Monday.

The doctors, whose identities have been kept secret by the
Attorney General's Office, failed, however, to appear at
Soeharto's residence on Monday.

Soeharto has been named a suspect by the Attorney General's
Office in a probe into alleged corruption during his 32-year
rule.

Soeharto's lawyers have repeatedly argued that their client is
medically unfit to undergo questioning,

Two weeks ago the 78-year-old former strongman failed to
answer a summons at the Attorney General's Office.

Meanwhile, President Abdurrahman Wahid said here Wednesday
that he is willing to meet with Soeharto if the former
president's family gives him permission.

Abdurrahman was responding to a request made by Soeharto's
half-brother, Probosutedjo, that the president meet with the
former ruler to personally witness his condition.

"I actually did make a request to meet with Soeharto sometime
ago but his family said that the meeting should be delayed
because he is still emotional and they are afraid the meeting
could worsen his condition," Abdurrahman told a press conference
at the Bina Graha presidential office.

When pressed to name the person who had interceded for
Soeharto, Abdurrahman said that it was Soeharto's eldest
daughter, Siti Hardijanti Rukmana.

U.S. business magazine Forbes last year estimated Soeharto's
family fortune at some US$4 billion. Time magazine, which
Soeharto has sued, has put the figure at about US$ 15 billion.
(byg/prb)