Suharto, 2000 News

former president of Indonesia, failed twice in Sept. to show up in court to face charges of embezzling $570 million in state funds for himself. His lawyers insisted he was too ill to stand trial. In late Sept. the South Jakarta District Court dismissed the charges against Suharto, citing his ill health. President Abdurrahman Wahid appealed the decision, insisting that the former autocrat stand trial. Wahid said he would pardon Suharto if he returned his illegal fortune to the nation. The pardon, however, would not extend to Suharto's playboy son, Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra, who was arrested in connection with a spate of bombings, the most serious of which left 15 dead at the Jakarta Stock Exchange.