Judge orders tests on Suharto

Suharto: No show once again

An Indonesian judge has ordered an independent medical examination of former President Suharto after he again failed to appear in court for his corruption trial.

The court orders the prosecutors to produce the defendant at the next session

Judge Lalu Mariyun

He also ordered Mr Suharto be brought to the Jakarta court on 28 September.

Mr Suharto's non-appearance sparked angry protests in central Jakarta with police firing teargas as demonstrators tried to march on the former autocrat's home.

Angry protests followed the trial

The resumption of Mr Suharto's trial followed a car bomb explosion on Wednesday, which left 15 dead.

Analysts have suggested the attack could be linked to the trial.

Bomb threats were also made on Thursday against key buildings in the Indonesian capital and in the city of Surabaya.

Poor health

Mr Suharto is accused of using a network of charities under his control to embezzle $570m of state funds during his 32 years in power.

Doctors showed the court a scan of Mr Suharto's brain

But he failed to attend either the opening of his trial a fortnight ago or the second hearing on Thursday.

His doctors have consistently argued that the 79-year-old former president is unfit to stand trial because of brain damage caused by a series of strokes.

But Judge Lalu Mariyun asked the prosecutors to form an independent medical team to examine Mr Suharto.

It will be unfair if he is brought to trial only for show

Lawyer Muhammad Assegaf

The team will comprise doctors from the health ministry, the Indonesian Doctors' Association and three major universities.

Judge Mariyun said the results should be handed over at the next hearing.

Brain scan

During Thursday's hearing Mr Suharto's doctors showed slides of brain scans as they gave a history of his ailments.

Doctors say the former president has brain damage

"Appearing at this trial under stressful conditions might trigger another stroke for our client, which could be fatal because he has suffered strokes before," the head of Suharto's medical team, Teguh Ranakusuma, said.

He added that Mr Suharto had suffered three strokes which had damaged his sight and speech.

Doctors said he also suffered from hypertension, kidney stones, heart problems and diabetes.

Protests

Outside anti-Suharto protesters stoned buses ferrying about 100 Suharto supporters from the trial which is being held in the Department of Agriculture building.

Later police fired teargas as hundreds of demonstrators marched on Mr Suharto's central Jakarta home.

Reports said protesters threw molotov cocktails and rocks at police trying to keep them away from Suharto supporters

Mr Suharto's trial is regarded as key to President Abdurrahman Wahid's efforts to building Indonesia's new democracy and restoring foreign confidence.

But the president has already promised to pardon Mr Suharto if he is convicted and returns any stolen money.