The youngest son of Indonesia's former president Suharto left prison in chaotic conditions today after serving just a third of his original 15-year term over the murder of a Supreme Court judge.
Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, 44, was to be formally freed on parole later today after completing legal formalities, a decision expected to infuriate rights activists.
Attempting to depart the grounds of the maximum-security Cipinang prison in a private luxury van, he was confronted by about 60 angry Indonesian reporters blocking his way for about 15 minutes.
Tommy was then forced to scurry to a building from where a second car whisked him away.
"He will be free but for one year will be on parole," Gusti Tamardjaja, the head of the Jakarta penitentiary office, told reporters earlier.
Tommy was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison in July 2002 for ordering the murder of judge Syarifuddin Kartasasmita, who was shot dead by gunmen on a motorcyle.
The judge had convicted Tommy on corruption and weapons offences but the ruling was later annulled.
The Supreme Court later reduced the murder sentence to 10 years without explanation. Since then he has received numerous sentence remissions - which Indonesia usually hands out twice a year to well-behaved prisoners - totalling more than 31 months.
The former businessman received his most recent sentence reduction, of 45 days, last week as Muslims marked Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Islamic holy month of fasting.
Under Indonesian law, prisoners showing good conduct who serve more than two-thirds of their sentence once the remissions are taken into account become eligible for parole.
The eight months Tommy was held in jail prior to his conviction has been considered as time served.
Tommy's release is likely to be seen by activists as proof that favours are still being handed to the Suharto clan, even eight years after the former dictator was forced to step down.
Vice president Yusuf Kalla attempted to head off criticism.
"We cannot discriminate, whether he is called Tommy or Ali or whatever ... Once he has completed two-thirds of his term showing a good attitude, automatically he gets released conditionally," he told reporters.
"We are, on the contrary, not discriminating."
The move comes less than a month after Indonesia's Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction of a pilot found guilty of poisoning one of the country's top activists, which led to sharp condemnation of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's failure to secure justice in the case.
Activists allege that Munir's death has been covered up and is linked to Indonesia's powerful national intelligence agency.
Tommy's father Suharto stepped down in 1998 amid a severe economic crisis and massive civil unrest. He and his family had amassed a huge fortune during the dictator's rule of more than three decades.
Indonesia's current president Yudhoyono swept to power in 2004 promising to clean up the widespread corruption for which Suharto's rule became notorious.
The ailing 85-year-old Suharto himself has escaped trial on health grounds for allegedly misusing some $US500 million ($651.85 million) - a fraction of the billions he is accused of collecting.
The attorney-general's office dropped charges against him earlier this year.
