BBC News Online: World: Asia-Pacific

Tommy Suharto 'ready to surrender'

Police dropped wanted posters across Jakarta

Tommy Suharto, 39, has been on the run since last November when he failed to hand himself in for an 18-month prison sentence for his part in multi-million dollar land scam.

Police still want to question Tommy - real name Hutomo Mandala Putra - over the killing of a judge who sentenced him, and over a spate of bombings in the capital, Jakarta.

On Tuesday his lawyer said Tommy was preparing to hand himself in, and intended to prove he was not involved in the murder or the bombings.

"He is ready to leave his hiding place," lawyer Elza Syarief said. "In my estimation, it will be before the end of October."

Bribery denied

Critics said Monday's ruling made a mockery of Indonesia's justice system, and about 150 students held a protest really near the home of former President Suharto.

"This case indicates the death of our legal system," said Teten Masduki of the Indonesian Corruption Watch.

But Vice-President Hamzah Haz appealed for calm.

"We must respect that institution's decision," he told reporters.

Meanwhile, one of the three judges who overturned Tommy's conviction denied he had taken bribes from the wealthy Suharto family.

"If you can prove I accepted a bribe, report me to the attorney general," Supreme Court Deputy Chairman Muhamad Taufik told reporters.

Manhunt

Justice Taufik said new evidence had emerged to show Tommy was not part of his company's day-to-day operations at the time of the real estate scam it was involved in.

Police have been accused of bungling the search for Tommy Suharto despite a series of high-profile raids.

The search appeared to intensify in August, when police said they had found evidence to link Tommy to the 26 July assassination of judge Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who had upheld his prison sentence on appeal. They said two suspects confessed that Tommy gave them firearms and paid them $11,600 (100 million rupiah) to carry out the drive-by shooting.

Former President Suharto was charged with embezzling $571m of state funds, but court officials ruled that he was unfit to face trial following a stroke.