JAKARTA -- Indonesian police on Tuesday scuffled with protesters trying to march on the presidential palace in Jakarta demanding that former president Suharto be tried for alleged corruption.

About 70 students marched through the city demanding that Suharto be tried immediately on allegations he corruptly amassed a multi-billion dollar fortune during his 32-year, army-backed rule.They were blocked from reaching the palace by about 100 riot police, leading to a brief scuffle with protesters and police punching and kicking each other before the students broke up.

Less than two miles away, 150 students protested near Suharto's home in a plush inner area of the capital. The second protest ended peacefully.

Both groups were also demanding action over Monday's gunning down of two university students in the Sumatran city of Medan.

The two were killed when police stormed their university campus to rescue two colleagues taken hostage after police refused to give up a student they had arrested.

The government on Tuesday extended a ban restricting Suharto to the capital for another 20 days while graft investigations continue, his chief lawyer said.

Juan Felix Tampubolon told Reuters Suharto may sue over the ban, originally imposed three weeks ago, after formal objections failed to have it lifted.

"Suharto has been cooperative . . . he will not run away," he said.

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Four officials from Attorney-General Marzuki Darusman's office visited Suharto for about an hour at his home early on Tuesday morning.

They said nothing to reporters as they left and officials from the attorney-general's office could not be contacted for comment, but local media reported before the visit the officials would assess if Suharto was well enough to answer questions. --

Suharto's city arrest was due to expire on Tuesday. Last month, he was also banned from leaving the country for one year.

Last week, an official at the attorney-general's office said some of Suharto's assets would be seized soon.

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