Seth Mydans, Jakarta – For the past year, the Jakarta police have been bustling about town, raiding apartments, smashing their way into cellars, tapping telephone lines, consulting psychics, putting up wanted posters, scattering leaflets, setting up roadblocks. If they actually found him, they would really have a problem on their hands. Tommy is Tommy Suharto, or Hutomo Mandala Putra, 39, the youngest and most flamboyant son of former President Suharto and, right now, Indonesia's most wanted man.

He is the only member of the Suharto clan to have been convicted – or even tried – for the corruption that afflicted Indonesia during his father's three decades in power, which ended in 1998. In September of last year, the Indonesian Supreme Court sentenced him to 18 months in prison for an $11 million land fraud involving a supermarket chain he owned. But he disappeared before he could be put in jail.

Vast wealth and political influence have played a role in Tommy Suharto's success in avoiding capture, according to many Indonesian political analysts. Living quietly at home since being driven from power, the elder Mr. Suharto, now 80 years old, can still apparently buy a lot of support. Clearly, his son is well protected. For those who may be on the other team, there have been apparent warnings in the form of bombings and killings.

Two months ago, the Supreme Court justice who presided over Tommy Suharto's conviction was assassinated in an ostentatious daylight shooting. "Police officers are afraid that if they help catch Tommy, they could be killed," said Hendardi, chairman of the Indonesian Human Rights Association.

This week the Supreme Court suddenly overruled itself and threw out the conviction, catching most of the public by surprise. Mohammed Taufiz, the deputy chief of the court, was understandably defensive about the ruling. "It was based only on the law and had nothing to do with politics," Mr. Taufiz insisted. "Tommy was not part of his company's day-to-day operations and therefore cannot be held responsible for its wrongdoing."

Not many people here seemed convinced by this reasoning. Indeed, it is generally assumed that money and intimidation formed the real basis for the Supreme Court's ruling. "I've heard reports that Tommy's attorneys were going around and telling the Supreme Court justices, 'Name a price, just name a price.'" said H.S. Dillon, a member of an independent anti-corruption commission.

Two themes have dominated the analysis of the verdict here: the corruption of the justice system and the continuing power of the Suharto family. "This spells disaster for the rule of law in Indonesia," said Amien Rais, the speaker of the National Assembly.

If the country's highest court in its highest profile ruling is so easily swayed, Indonesians may wonder where to turn for justice. Regarding former President Suharto, "this shows how strongly the Suharto family has been trying to push its agenda to get the whole family off the hook and thereby safeguard their wealth," asserted George Aditjondro, an Indonesian expert on the Suharto family's wealth who lives in Australia. In the months after Mr. Suharto was forced to resign, angry crowds gathered outside his downtown home and bayed for his trial and the return of his stolen wealth. Their general theme was "Hang Suharto!"

But Mr. Suharto, even in his dotage, has always been a shrewd operator. He rode out the storm. Three years ago, under public pressure, the government brought a case against him for milking a group of charitable foundations for nearly $500 million. But each time the case took a new pre-trial step, a bomb went off somewhere or a bullet was fired through a window of the attorney general's office. Each time Mr. Suharto was called into court, he was too sick to attend.

Finally last year, Mr. Suharto's lawyers persuaded a court to rule that he was mentally unfit and the case was dropped for good. "Physically, he looks O.K.," said one of his lawyers, Mohammed Assegaf. "He can walk. He can talk. He remembers us. But he cannot think properly. He has brain damage."

So where is his son Tommy Suharto? Just about everybody is sure he is right here in Jakarta and the city is filled with rumors of sightings. Just about everybody is certain that those who need to know where he is do know, even if they don't want to say so. He is wanted now in connection with the bomb explosions and the murder of the Supreme Court justice, and the game is on again. The police, for their part, promised to keep on searching.