Hours before the scheduled start of the corruption trial of former Indonesian President Suharto on Thursday, a blast near the trial site in the capital left a minibus mangled but caused no casualties, police said. The explosion damaged some buildings about 300 meters from the agriculture ministry compound, where Suharto's trial was due to be held from 1000 hrs on Thursday. Thursday unless his defence lawyers succeed in a delay due to his poor health.
Retired general Suharto is accused of stealing $ 571 million from the state during more than three decades in power by funnelling money from huge tax-free charities he controlled into the businesses of family and friends.
If convicted, the 79-year-old faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. His successor, President Abdurrahman Wahid, has said he will pardon Suharto if he returns the pilfered money. Jakarta police Senior Superintendent Harry Montolalu was quoted as saying he believed the explosive device was planted under a seat of the bus. ''We believe it was a large amount of firecrackers wrapped in newspaper,'' he was quoted as saying.
Bureau Report