Former Indonesian strongman Suharto in critical condition

"He is in critical condition now, and at this moment we are performing a haemodialysis treatment for his kidney," said Dr Mardjo Soebiandono, head of the team of doctors attending the former strongman.

"There are excessive liquids in his lungs, and several parts of his body too," the doctor said.

Current President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla visited the hospital and told the nation to send prayers to Suharto.

The 86-year-old former president checked in to a private hospital in South Jakarta on Friday afternoon after reportedly being treated in his private residence for five days for his illnesses.

Suharto, who resigned in disgrace in 1998 amid pro-democracy street demonstrations, faced numerous allegations of human rights abuses and corruption during his more than two decades of rule, but in May 2006 prosecutors closed a criminal case against him, citing his deteriorating health.

Last year the Indonesian Supreme Court overturned a lower court's decision and awarded the ex-dictator I trillion rupiah (106 million dollars) in damages in a lawsuit he brought against the US-based Time magazine.

In addition, the court ordered an apology be published in Indonesian newspapers as well as three Time titles.

Suharto had sought more than 27 billion dollars in a defamation suit filed against Time over an article published in May 1999 that alleged he had stashed a massive amount of money abroad.

The publication said in the article that it had traced some 15 billion dollars in wealth accumulated by Suharto and his six children following a four-month investigation by its correspondents in 11 countries.

Time magazine, which appealed the ruling, also said it had documented that more than 73 billion dollars in revenues and assets passed through the Suharto family's hands during his 32 years in office.//dpa