Posted 11 May 2006 @ 16:31
Updated 11 May 2006 @ 16:32
JAKARTA, 11 May 2006 - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has decided to halt legal proceedings against former long-serving president Suharto, a local newspaper reported Thursday. Susilo dropped the corruption charges against ailing Suharto, who underwent a colon surgery earlier this week, after consulting with top government and parliament officials just before midnight Wednesday, reported Kompas.
"The settlement in the Suhartocase is based on political, economic, legal, humanitarian, health and moral reasons... and on public emotion," chief security minister Widodo Adi Sucipto was quoted as saying. He said a decree on Suharto's status would be issued after the government collected all relevant documents.
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra, responded to a question if Suharto needs to apologize first before the pardon, said "I myself witnessed Suharto making the apology when he retired. The documentary film on that occasion is being collected." Also present in the Wednesday's meeting were House of Representatives speaker Agung Laksono, Regional Legislative Council chairman Ginandjar Kartasasmita, Chief Justice Bagir Manan, Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh, National Police Chief Sutanto and Military Chief Air Marshall Djoko Soeyanto.
Suharto, 84, was charged with illegally collecting funds through his various foundations after he was ousted in 1998, which ended his 32 years in power. But Suharto never showed up in his trials for health reasons and the court later pronounced him medically unfit for trials.
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