Hamish McDonald – An Indonesian politician visiting Sydney yesterday had an awkward reminder of an event in his past he must have thought long buried: the death of five Australian newsmen at Balibo, East Timor, in 1975.

Retired lieutenant-general Sutiyoso, 62, for the past decade the Governor of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, found a NSW policeman, Detective Sergeant Steve Thomas, at his hotel room door inviting him to appear at a Sydney inquest into the deaths.

But for last-minute doubts about its enforceability and risking a major diplomatic row with Indonesia, Sergeant Thomas would have delivered a subpoena signed by Deputy NSW Coroner Dorelle Pinch compelling him to appear in her Glebe court this morning.

According to books by an Indonesian war correspondent, Hendro Subroto, the then Captain Sutiyoso was a member of "team Susi", the Indonesian special forces unit that attacked the border town of Balibo on October 16, 1975.

Like other Indonesian soldiers taking part in the covert invasion across the Timor land border, he took an alias, in his case "Manix", a mispelled version of the Telly Savalas character popular in the 1970s.

Evidence given to the inquest by Timorese partisans attached to Team Susi was that the five newsmen from channels Nine and Seven were captured while trying to surrender, then quickly executed, and their bodies burnt. None have mentioned any particular action by Sutiyoso.

Up until late yesterday afternoon, General Sutiyoso's visit to Sydney with a 25-strong business delegation had gone well. There had been a reception at State Parliament on Monday, hosted by NSW Tourism Minister Matt Brown, and yesterday an Australia-Indonesia business lunch in the same place, after which he was presented with a bottle of fine NSW wine.

Then a nap in his hotel room, from which he was awakened by Sergeant Thomas.

General Sutiyoso is believed to have told Sergeant Thomas that he was unable to attend the court, because of his busy program of engagements in Canberra today.

Last night, guests at a reception at the Indonesian Consulate-General were told the guest of honour was unable to attend "due to the onset of sudden illness".

Whether General Sutiyoso continues his program remains to be seen. While he is understood not to be travelling on a diplomatic passport, the subpoena was thrown in doubt by legal advice on federal legislation protecting visiting foreign leaders from domestic court orders.

Otherwise, General Sutiyoso would have been the first Indonesian military participant in the Balibo attack to appear in the inquest. The commander of Team Susi, then captain Mohammed Yunus Yosfiah, a former Indonesian information minister, has declined an invitation to testify.

General Sutiyoso has been mentioned as a candidate for the 2009 presidential elections.