Jakarta – An Indonesian court yesterday jailed two bodyguards who procured forged documents for Tommy Suharto, the youngest son of a former president, while he was on the run from the law for a year.

Dedi Yusuf and Ferry Hukom were convicted in a South Jakarta district court for making false statements and producing false documents to obtain a fake birth certificate and identity card for Tommy.

Chief Judge Sudarto said Dedi, 39, and Ferry would serve 16 months and 14 months respectively. "Based on testimony of the witnesses, the papers were going to be used as documents for making a passport which would be used by Tommy to flee abroad," Judge Sudarto said.

The lawyer for both defendants, Mr Sawir Ahmad, said he would appeal against the decision. He said Tommy should have been called as a key witness.

Tommy failed to turn himself in on November 3, 2000, to serve an 18-month jail term for corruption. His time as a fugitive came to an end on November 28 last year when police arrested him at a south Jakarta house. While he was still on the run, a Supreme Court panel acquitted him of the graft charge in a controversial decision.

The police have accused Tommy of ordering the murder of Supreme Court Judge Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who had sentenced him to jail. But they have been unsuccessful in proving the involvement of Tommy as the two men arrested for allegedly carrying out the judge's murder, Mulawarman bin Sunjaya Wijaya and Noval Hadad, recently retracted their confessions in a court hearing.

Tommy is also suspected of possessing illegal weapons and explosives. He has denied all the offences and has not yet been charged