No need to continue legal process against Soeharto: House Speaker

YOGYAKARTA (Antara): House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono said there was no need to continue the legal process against ailing former President Soeharto for "humanitarian reasons."

Agung made the statement after handing tree seeds for reforestation to 13 campuses on Saturday.

"Since he has repeatedly fallen ill and been hospitalized several times, the legal process (for corruption) against Soeharto should not be continued for humanitarian reasons," Agung said.

Soeharto was in 2000 prosecuted in a multimillion dollar corruption case but based on a recommendation from a presidential team of doctors, the court declared him too ill to stand trial.

After 32 years in power, the former strongman was forced to step down in 1998 in the face of mass protests but many believed his cronies were still exerting an influence to prevent him from being brought to justice.