Suharto will not appear as corruption trial begins

Suharto

By staff and wire reports

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- As the corruption trial of Indonesia's former dictator Suharto resumes, lawyers for the former autocrat said Thursday he is too sick to attend the hearing.

At the same time, bomb blasts and street clashes have coincided with major developments in Indonesia's attempts to bring Suharto and his family to justice for alleged massive graft during his 32-year reign, which ended in chaos in May 1998.

Suharto loyalists claimed responsibility for throwing an explosive device at the Jakarta office of a leading human rights organization Wednesday night. No one was hurt and little damage was caused. But the incident stoked fears about security and President Abdurrahman Wahid's grip on power in the world's fourth most populous nation.

Witnesses said a device was thrown at rights organization Kontras just after 9 p.m. Wednesday (1400 GMT), panicking local residents of the Mataraman inner suburb, near several ambassadorial homes and Vice President Megawati Sukarnoputri's official residence.

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A police spokesman said it was too early to say what might have caused the explosion. But the bomb squad was called in and carefully removed what was believed to have been a second explosive device.

The blast came amid fears of further bloodshed in the capital of the world's largest Muslim nation. It is the latest in a series of bomb attacks that have coincided with Suharto's trial over accusations he embezzled $550 million from charities he controlled while in power.

CNN's Maria Ressa reported Thursday that Indonesian officials have vowed to continue prosecution of the Suharto case, regardless of whether he appears in court.

The violence surrounding the trial has prompted some officials to call for the landmark hearing to be called off.

Suharto has failed to appear in his first two hearings, disappointing many Indonesians eagerly awaiting the sight of the white-haired self-styled "father of development."

Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra

Suharto's son faces jail

Wednesday night's blast came less than 24 hours after the Indonesian Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling and sentenced Suharto's youngest and favourite son, Hutomo (Tommy) Mandala Putra, to 18 months' jail over an $11 million land scam.

The ruling fueled fears Suharto loyalists would step up their campaign of violence aimed at protecting themselves and destabilizing Wahid, Indonesia's first democratically elected leader, analysts and diplomats said.

Wahid recently ordered Tommy Suharto's arrest over a spate of bomb attacks in the capital and sacked the national police chief when he refused to obey. Police said they do not have enough evidence against Suharto's playboy son, who has denied any involvement in the bombings.

Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Tommy will be jailed within two days. "The law must be upheld," he said. "We are preparing so that he (Tommy) will go to jail. There is no compromise."

Reuters contributed to this report.

Indonesian police want evidence before arresting Suharto's son
September 15, 2000
Suharto a no-show as Indonesia graft trial resumes
September 14, 2000

Government of Indonesia
AsianNet, Indonesia On-Line
Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights

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