Ball rolling in Indonesia for Suharto's son release

JAKARTA, Oct 29 (Reuters) Former Indonesian president Suharto's youngest so, in jail for plotting a murder, could get a conditional release this week, prison officials said today.

Thanks to the Indonesian system of ''remissions'', or regular cuts in sentences for good behaviour, Hutomo ''Tommy'' Mandala Putra has served two-thirds of the jail time he now owes, enough under the country's legal system to qualify him to be released.

Tommy was originally sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2002 for paying a hitman to kill a Supreme Court judge and other offences.

The murdered judge had convicted Tommy in a graft case.

The sentence was later sliced to 10 years on appeal, and like thousands of other Indonesian prisoners Tommy has had further reductions from the remission programme. The latest was a six-week cut last week for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.

''There has been a warrant letter on his conditional release from the penitentiaries office. So Monday (we) plan to bring it to the Central Jakarta prosecutors' office to be executed,'' Gusti Tamarjaya, the head of Jakarta penitentiaries, told Reuters.

Wibowo Joko Harjono, the warden of Cipinang prison in East Jakarta where Tommy is being held, said: ''It is sure that he will be released and the time also clear, within this week.'' Justice Minister Hamid Awaludin had said earlier that while Tommy was eligible for release, any such decision would have to be discussed with the prosecutor's office.

He has also been quoted as saying a release would not be automatic and the attitude of society should be a factor.

I Wayan Pasek Suartha, spokesman for Indonesia's attorney general's office, said if a letter arrived, prosecutors would check whether any cases involving Tommy were pending before making a decision.

Release is likely to spark criticism from domestic human rights groups and foreign analysts who say Indonesia needs to demonstrate it does not have a double standard in how justice is applied to the poor and weak compared to the rich and powerful.

Many had criticised the original sentence as too lenient considering Tommy's crimes.

A colourful figure with a reputation as a playboy and a hobby of stock car racing, Tommy, like other members of Suharto's family, made millions during his father's presidency.

Critics said most of the family's financial success had more to do with political connections than business acumen. But Suharto, who ruled Indonesia with an iron hand for more than 30 years, denied charges of graft and has himself avoided prosecution by pleading that he is too ill to stand trial.

REUTERS SP BD1329