Suharto's son leaves jail under police escort

JAKARTA, Oct 30 (Reuters) Police moved former Indonesian president Suharto's youngest son from jail, witnesses said today, following weeks of reports he might be freed early from a lengthy jail term over the murder of a Supreme Court judge.

Prison sources had said Hutomo ''Tommy'' Mandala Putra could be released conditionally today after serving a third of his original 15-year sentence for paying a hitman to kill the judge and other offences.

Guards switched Tommy from a van to a car after he was blocked by a crowd of reporters and photographers scrambling for comment and footage.

Several steps would be needed to process the former playboy and business tycoon before his expected probational release, criticised by human rights groups who say Tommy has been leniently treated throughout the legal process.

Tommy was originally sentenced to 15 years in 2002. 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 a six-week cut last week for the Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday.

He was sentenced in 2002 and served about a year in prison prior to this.

REUTERS AB MIR BST1406