Jakarta – Human rights groups accused the the Indonesian army of hampering the hunt for the fugitive son of former dictator Suharto, as police interrogated his wife yesterday. Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra has eluded authorities since he was convicted of corruption last year and sentenced to 18 months in jail.

Last week, police accused the millionaire playboy of ordering the assassination of the judge who sentenced him and masterminding a bombing campaign in the capital. Hutomo has also been implicated in the Jakarta Stock Exchange bombing, which killed 15 people.

The chairman of the Indonesian Human Rights Association, Hendardi, claimed top army generals were assisting Hutomo evade capture by providing him with information about the police investigation and helping to hide him. "Tommy still has much support from commanders in the army who were loyal to his father as well as to him," Mr Hendardi said yesterday.

He said the generals were afraid that if members of Suharto's family could be punished for graft, the military chiefs who backed the former autocrat's 32-year regime could also face prosecution for human rights abuses and corruption. "Police officers are also afraid that if they help catch Hutomo, they could be killed," Mr Hendardi said.

A spokesman at military headquarters rejected the accusations, saying the armed forces supported the police in their hunt for Hutomo.

George Aditjondro, a professor at Australia's University of Newcastle who has long studied corruption in Indonesia, said there was a power struggle between the police and the armed forces. "The police are trying to catch him and the military are trying to protect him," Mr Aditjondro said. "Suharto and his family are still extremely strong."

The Supreme Court convicted Hutomo last September over a multimillion-dollar real estate scam. But he was not jailed immediately, and vanished in November after an arrest warrant was issued.

He is the only member of the Suharto family to be found guilty of corruption. The former strongman evaded prosecution for graft last year by claiming he was too ill and old to face trial.

Police say they have launched a major operation to track down Hutomo but have had no success.

Police interrogated Hutomo's wife, Regita "Tata" Cahyani, for six hours about the whereabouts of her husband. Afterwards she said: "We will urge him to turn himself in." Detectives questioned two of Suharto's daughters last week. Police said the women knew where Hutomo was hiding, but rejected demands they be arrested for concealing a fugitive.