BBC News Online: World: Asia-Pacific

Tommy Suharto 'still sought for murder'

Tommy Suharto, pictured in 2000, is still on the run

The millionaire playboy has been on the run since last November when he failed to hand himself in for an 18-month prison sentence for graft.

In a controversial move, the Supreme Court overturned that conviction on Monday.

On Tuesday, one of Tommy Suharto's lawyers said the fugitive was ready to hand himself in within weeks.

Attorney General Muhamad Abdul Rachman said on Wednesday that Tommy Suharto was under suspicion.

"This acquittal will not eradicate his other misdeeds," he told reporters after meeting President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

"We will try to push the other cases, including the assassination of the judge."

Anger at ruling

Police say they have evidence that Tommy - real name Hutomo Mandala Putra - masterminded the 26 July drive-by shooting of Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita.

Police have been accused of bungling the search for Tommy, despite a series of high-profile raids and a new burst of publicity in August, when the search appeared to intensify.

Monday's verdict has drawn angry criticism from anti-corruption activists, politicians and government officials.

Accusations

An editorial in the Jakarta Post newspaper said the ruling "has destroyed what little credibility was left on what is supposed to be the last bastion of justice in this country."

The original conviction was over a multi-million dollar land scam involving a company owned by Tommy Suharto.

But a panel of three judges ruled on Monday that he did not have day-to-day control of the company at the time of the 1995 scam, and therefore could not take the blame.

One of the judges subsequently denied he had taken bribes from the wealthy Suharto family to acquit Tommy.

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

Tommy, 39, was the only member of the Suharto family to be convicted of corruption.

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.