Jakarta – A member of Indonesia's once omnipotent Suharto clan goes on trial for his life Wednesday amid heavy security in a case certain to cause a storm of interest.

Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, youngest son of the former dictator Suharto, is accused of murdering of a judge, possessing weapons and fleeing from justice. The first two offences are punishable by death.

But critics doubt Tommy will be convicted of the most serious offences, citing a corrupt legal system and low prosecution standards. Tommy will be tried at the Central Jakarta district court by three judges headed by Amiruddin Zakaria, said court spokesman Andi Samsan Nganro.

Extra security is expected for the much-anticipated trial, which is open to the public and television crews. "This is a big case and it will surely attract huge public interest. The police know it and therefore they will provide extra security," Nganro, who is also a member of the panel, told AFP.

The trial is expected to last for three or four months owing to the number of witnesses, Nganro said, and will be held just one day a week.

Former millionaire playboy and tycoon Tommy is accused of ordering the contract killing in July 2001 of supreme court judge Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who in September 2000 had sentenced him to 18 months' jail for a corrupt land deal.

Tommy, 39, failed to turn himself in and went on the run for a year. He was arrested on November 28. Police say they found firearms and explosives in premises linked to Tommy during their search for him.

His lawyer Elza Syarief said her client remained calm ahead of the trial. "He feels he didn't do anything he is charged with and he hopes that the trial will be fair and honest and is not swayed by the public opinion against him," Syarief told AFP.

But she said Tommy is worried that his trial will worsen his father's already failing health. "I'm sure he is worried about his father. It is proven by his eagerness to see his father recently."

Suharto, 80, who wielded near-absolute power during his 32-year rule until May 1998, suffered an intestinal haemorrhage on Wednesday. His health appeared to improve after he was visited by Tommy late on Thursday.

"Mr. Harto knows what is Tommy going through and expressed his desire to attend the trial to give support for Tommy. But I and Tommy wouldn't allow him because of his poor health," Syarief said. "We're still in the process of forming a defence team. But the fact is Tommy denies all the charges and the killers [of Kartasasmita] have retracted their testimonies that Tommy ordered the killing," she said.

Syarief said police had also cited a man as another suspect. "It was reported that he is allegedly the person who had ordered Mulawarman and Noval to kill Mr. Syafiuddin," she said. Noval Hadad and R. Mulawarman are accused of the actual killing and are on trial separately.

Tommy's trial caps an extraordinary month for Indonesia's often derided legal system. On March 13 central bank governor Syahril Sabirin was convicted of corruption and sentenced to three years in jail, although he remains free pending appeal.

On March 25 parliament speaker Akbar Tanjung will face trial for graft.

But human rights lawyers said Tommy's wealth and political connections could rule out a heavy sentence. Time magazine in June 1998 estimated his wealth at 800 million dollars. "I'm not too optimistic about the trial because there seems to be efforts not to investigate the case in a more expansive way," said Hendardi, chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Association.

"There seems to be an attempt to cover up Tommy's network, which I think involves a certain political power," he said, citing the possibility of military involvement in Tommy's flight. "I'm worried that some people will be punished and Tommy will eventually walk free with his alibis. Even if he's jailed it will be minimal," Hendardi said.

Munir, of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence, told AFP: "The difficulty experienced by police to arrest Tommy shows that he is still powerful. The power of the Suharto family will also influence the outcome." Munir said he believed Tommy would eventually end up in prison but for a short time.