Police question Suharto's son

Fifteen people were killed in Wednesday's blast

Indonesian police have questioned the youngest son of former President Suharto, in connection with alleged links to a car bomb attack on the Jakarta Stock Exchange.

Tommy Suharto

Age 38

Youngest of former President Suharto's six children

Real name Hutomo Mandala Putra

Business interests included running national car project, the Timor, and national clove monopoly

Acquitted in October 1999 of corruption charges connected to a 1997 land deal

Tommy Suharto arrived voluntarily at the police headquarters in Jakarta, a day after President Wahid announced that he had ordered police to arrest him. He said he wanted to prevent more bomb attacks and had enough evidence against Tommy and another suspect, a Muslim leader, to justify their detention.

"I came here on my own initiative rather than being chased here by police," said Tommy Suharto as he arrived at police headquarters.

The police headquarters are adjacent to the Jakarta Stock Exchange, where a car bomb and subsequent fire killed 15 people on Wednesday.

Speculation

The bomb attack took place a day before former President Suharto's corruption trial resumed in the south of the capital.

The former president is accused of stealing at least $583m in government money to bankroll businesses controlled by his supporters and children, including Tommy.

Police say they do not have enough evidence to arrest Tommy Suharto

Although Mr Suharto failed for the second time to appear at court, there was mounting speculation that the attack was connected to his trial.

It was the latest and by far the most lethal in a series of unexplained bombings to have hit the Indonesian capital in recent months.

Two weeks ago - hours before the trial opened for the first time - another bomb hidden in a bus exploded close to the court building, although there were no casualties.

Empire

Police say they have insufficient evidence to arrest Tommy Suharto in connection with the stock exchange bomb, despite President Wahid's call for his detention.

During his father's three decades in power, Tommy Suharto built up a large business empire and earlier this year he was himself questioned by state prosecutors over allegations of corruption.

In early July, a bomb exploded in the central Jakarta building housing the attorney-general's office about an hour after Tommy had been interrogated there about his father's wealth. No-one was injured in the blast, but it caused serious damage to the building.

A day later a second, more powerful device, was found at the building and defused by police.

In March, a bullet was fired through a window of the Indonesian parliament as legislators questioned him over other corruption allegations.