Indonesia arrests Suharto's fugitive son

Tommy Suharto has been on the run for over a year

By Amy Chew

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesian police say they have arrested the fugitive son of former President Suharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

Jakarta police chief Sofyan Jacoeb said Tommy was found sleeping in a rented house in the southern suburb of Bintaro when police raided early Wednesday afternoon.

The country's most-wanted man is being held in the Jakarta police headquarters in connection with the killing of an Indonesian judge and the illegal possession of firearms, police spokesman Anton Bahrul Alam told Amy Chew, reporting from the capital.

Tommy has been on the run for over a year after being handed an 18-month jail sentence over an $11 million land scam.

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But the decision was controversially overturned in October by the Supreme Court, which described it as a grave mistake.

Police have also sought the billionaire in connection with the killing of one of the judges who convicted him and a spate of bombings in the capital.

Sleeping during raid

Police raided the Jakarta house at 4.20 p.m. (0920 GMT) after a special team of 25 officers had monitored the place for two days.

Tommy did not put up a fight, witnesses said.

"I surrender. I will not fight against the officers," he said.

Arriving at police headquarters just before dusk, Tommy was clean-shaven, cheerful and smiling, but made no comment to reporters.

Tommy's arrest follows a pledge by President Megawati Sukarnoputri's four-month old administration to tackle crime and corruption.

Indonesia's judicial system has long been accused of being corrupt and politically influenced, while the country's beleaguered police force has been slammed during its drawn-out saga to catch Tommy.

Although pro-democracy protests forced Suharto from office in 1998, critics say he and his wealthy family remain immensely powerful and untouchable by the law.

Need for cash

Cash-strapped Indonesia needs investment to overcome four years of economic collapse started by the Asian crisis in 1997.

But investors remain wary of the government's commitment to root out the corruption that has long been commonplace.

The once all-powerful Suharto family has been the focus of several graft probes since the former general stepped down amid social chaos in 1998.

But only Tommy, Suharto's youngest son, has been convicted of corruption.

Critics accuse Suharto and his six children of corruptly amassing up to $45 billion during his 32-year rule. All the Suhartos have denied any wrongdoing.