World

Suharto's Son Arrested

September 14, 2000 / 9:05 AM EDT / AP

Indonesia's president ordered the arrest of ex-dictator Suharto's son on Friday, two days after a deadly explosion at the Jakarta Stock Exchange that many speculated was carried out by Suharto's supporters.

President Abdurrahman Wahid did not tell reporters why Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, was detained by police.

Tommy, 38, is the youngest of Suharto's six children, who became wealthy during their father's 32-year dictatorship.

However, people in and out of the government have been suggesting since Wednesday's blast that supporters of the ex-president were behind it.

The explosion, which killed 15 people and left dozens injured, was the deadliest in a series of unexplained bombings that have coincided with major developments in the corruption case currently under way against Suharto.

"I have ordered the Jakarta police chief to arrest Tommy Suharto," Wahid said. "It was the decision of the Cabinet meeting yesterday (Thursday)."

Wahid also called for the arrest of Habib Alwi al Baaqil, chairman of the Islamic Defense Front, a pro-Suharto group.

The president conceded that authorities did not have full evidence against the pair.

"But we have reasons to arrest them to prevent another bombing like what happened with the Jakarta Stock Exchange," he said.

Wahid made his comments after attending prayers at a mosque in the presidential palace grounds in Jakarta.

Suharto is charged with skimming off $583 million in state money to bankroll the business empires of his family and cronies. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Juwono Sudarsono, a former defense minister, suggested Thursday that Suharto loyalists in the military may have launched a terrorist campaign in order to block the trial.

"They may be implicated if Suharto talks in court. And they are the ones who are the least interested in having the trial start," he said.

Wahid warned that opponents of his year-old reformist government were planning more terrorist attacks. He cited intelligence reports.

"According to a telephone tap, there are several other places that will be bombed and I have told the authorities to take strict action and make security checks to prevent this from happening again," he said. "We cannot tolerate this any more."

On Friday, Wahid visited a Jakarta hospital where Philippine Ambassador Leonides Caday was recovering from injuries sustained in a car bomb attack Aug. 1.

Three of the recent blasts in Indonesia have coincided with major developments in the corruption investigation and court case against Suharto.

On July 4, a bomb damaged the attorney general's office soon after prosecutors grilled Tommy about his father's business interests.

Lawyers for Suharto have dismissed as speculation claims by senior government officials that his supporters were behind the blasts.

Wahid is under pressure on many fronts, including from the international community after three U.N. aid workes were murdered by pro-Jakarta militias in West Timor last week.

Local financial markets have been battered by the violence and instability as Indonesia lurches from crisis to crisis after the end of Suharto's army-backed rule.