Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Former president Suharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, may escape prosecution again after two suspects in the murder of a top judge allegedly ordered by him said they were forced by police to confess.

Legal analysts said this latest development in the case might clear Tommy, who is under police custody, of charges that he ordered the murder of Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita.

The judge had sentenced Tommy to 18 months in jail for corruption in 2000. But Tommy's graft conviction was overturned last year in a controversial decision by the Supreme Court.

Two men arrested for allegedly carrying out the judge's murder, Mulawarman bin Sunjaya Wijaya and Noval Hadad, recently retracted their confessions to police in a court hearing.

Noval denied that he was among the four men on motorcycles who witnesses say shot Mr Syafiuddin while he was driving to work.

Noval said he had been forced by police to confess that he was paid by Tommy to assassinate Mr Syafiuddin. In a hearing on Monday, Mulawarman said he had never met Tommy but admitted he had been contacted by a man who claimed to be Tommy's aide to conduct the murder.

Before this, their confessions were the only evidence police had against Tommy in the murder charge.

A police source said: "The retraction would slow our work on Tommy's case." Police are investigating Tommy over the murder case and for illegal possession of firearms and explosives which they found at a house he allegedly used last year.

They have submitted the dossier on the case of illegal possession of firearms to the Attorney-General's office, but it has not begun investigations as it is still tied up with the murder probe. As a result, Tommy has not yet been named a suspect in either case.

Said legal activist Bambang Widjoyanto: "The police and prosecutor will have a big problem proving Tommy's involvement in the case. There is a possibility that he would get away with it."

Meanwhile, legal observer Harkristuti Harkrisnowo said the only testimonies that mattered in a court hearing were those given in the courtroom. This meant the judge would omit any statements or confessions made during police questioning.

Mr Bambang said suspects or witnesses in high-profile cases involving well-connected people often retracted their statements to police. This would also prove what sceptics feared all along – that police were not serious in building a case against Tommy.