After depriving the nation of so much wealth and ruling for 32 years, the guy is let go though for “medical” reasons. I don’t think this is enough to drop charges. He can’t defend himself but atleast investigations should be carried out against the illegal wealth he accumulated over time and take away his assets for national treasury.
Indonesia drops corruption charges against Suharto!
Indonesia Drops Charges Against Suharto
By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia dropped corruption charges against ailing former strongman Suharto on Friday, disappointing those who struggled against his repressive rule and had long hoped to see him brought to justice.
Suharto, 84, was ousted after 32 years amid student protests and nationwide riots in 1998. In 2000, prosecutors charged him with embezzling $600 million, but he never saw the inside of court after his lawyers argued that a series of strokes had left him with irreparable brain damage.
Doctors say Suharto — who has been hospitalized at least four times since 1998 — is weak but recovering well from colon surgery on Sunday to stem intestinal bleeding.
Attorney General Abdul Rahman Saleh indicated Suharto’s poor health was behind the decision to drop the charges.
“Our conclusion, after hearing the statement from the doctors, is that Suharto’s condition is getting worse,” Rahman said in an announcement. “Suharto is no longer a defendant, he is a free man.”
Suharto, whose regime was widely regarded as one of most corrupt and brutal of the 20th century, still has many powerful supporters in the government, parliament and military who want his name cleared.
The attorney general said the case could be reopened if there were “new developments,” suggesting Suharto could still be tried if his health improves.
The announcement came just hours after Indonesia’s president said he decided not to drop the case, citing public anger over the proposed move.
“The waves of opposing and supporting voices are getting higher and this could lead to conflict,” President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a news conference.
Soon after the announcement, dozens of protesters gathered in the neighborhood where Suharto lives. Many carried posters saying “Bring Him to Trial.”
“It is ironic for a government whose central theme is eradication of corruption,” Hendardi, a noted lawyer and chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Association, said of the decision to drop the charges.
On Thursday, State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra, appointed by Yudhoyono to investigate the Suharto case, said the government intended to drop charges and take steps to “rehabilitate” his name.
The move has been front-page news in Indonesia and has drawn much editorial comment, but it has prompted no large demonstrations.
Suharto’s critics say the $600 million represents only a small fraction of the money he and his family stole.
They also say Suharto should be charged in connection with at least 500,000 political killings during his regime, mostly of communists and left-wing government opponents. Hundreds of thousands of others are said to have been thrown in prison without trial.
“He must not be allowed to go unpunished,” said Carmel Budiardjo, a former political prisoner who now runs the London-based Indonesian human rights group TAPOL.
Some have called for Suharto to apologize to the nation, or return money he allegedly stole, in exchange for the case being dropped. Others allege that he is feigning illness, and should be brought to trial or tried in absentia.
Suharto has kept a low profile since his ouster.