Blatant mockery of justice<\/p>\n
Our blood pressure had yet to return to normal from the
\nManulife scandal when we were yet again flabbergasted upon Hutomo
\n\"Tommy\" Mandala Putra's revelation during Wednesday's trial that
\nhe had visited his family on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta, once a
\nmonth, and spent two weeks of every month at home during his
\nalmost-one-year on the run.<\/p>\n
Tommy, who is being charged with the murder of Supreme Court
\nJustice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, answered the panel of judges'
\nquestions with self-confidence and an \"innocent smile\".<\/p>\n
\"Everything was OK, thanks to coordination with the security,\"
\nthe youngest son of former president Soeharto told the court.<\/p>\n
In September 2000, the South Jakarta District Court exonerated
\nTommy from charges of playing a role in a land scam involving the
\nState Logistics Agency (Bulog). Besides murder, Tommy stands
\naccused of illegal possession of firearms and fleeing from
\njustice.<\/p>\n
Tommy's admission that he visited Syafiuddin's home -- after
\nthe latter overruled the innocent verdict handed down to Tommy by
\nthe South Jakarta District Court -- was a lead that the court
\ncould and should have explored. Syafiuddin was killed by men who
\nwere allegedly Tommy's accomplices. He was killed by a bullet
\nthat came from one of six guns found by police at a home rented
\nby Tommy -- as revealed by an expert witness in a recent trial.<\/p>\n
All five judges in Wednesday's hearing seemed reluctant to
\npursue Tommy's statements, and this has fueled public
\nspeculations that everything has been orchestrated to favor
\nTommy.<\/p>\n
Chief prosecutor Hasan Madani skipped from one question to
\nanother, instead of asking probing questions.<\/p>\n
\"I would not waste my energy as it would be useless. He'll
\njust keep on denying everything,\" Hasan told reporters after the
\nhearing, defending his poor performance.<\/p>\n
Another flimsy excuse was given by Judge Andi Samsan Nganro
\nthat a bad flu had forced him to jump from one question to
\nanother during the trial, despite the fact that some of the
\ndefendant's answers deserved to be further explored.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors seemed to take Tommy's dumbfounding testimony
\nfor granted, ignoring the fact that his revelations were open to
\nfurther legal action.<\/p>\n
Tommy has just conducted an act of \"denudation\", which
\nembarrasses our judicial system, and in a special context is a
\nslap in the police's face.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month Rossanna Hasan, a widow of a former middle-
\nranking Army officer, told the court as a witness that she had
\nallowed Tommy to stay at her house in Bintaro, South Jakarta,
\neven though she knew it was against the law.<\/p>\n
Paragraph 1 of Article 221 of the Criminal Code stipulates
\nthat those harboring and protecting fugitives from further legal
\nproceedings could face a maximum penalty of nine months in jail.<\/p>\n
The question is: How many other people, besides Rossanna,
\nprotected and harbored Tommy? And do our law enforcers have the
\nguts to uphold the law by sending those who knew Tommy's
\nwhereabouts during his escape to court?<\/p>\n
It is obviously a fallacy that Tommy's wife, brothers and
\nsisters and lawyers were unaware that Tommy visited his residence
\nand stayed there for days every month during his time on the run.<\/p>\n
In this case it is apparent that moral corruption and
\nineptitude is prevalent among our law enforcers, on whom the
\npublic has placed their high hopes of the reform movement,
\nincluding in the legal system.<\/p>\n
Still fresh in mind is how the police searched a bunker under
\nTommy's house, plus the houses of his father, Soeharto, and
\nbrother and sisters early last year.<\/p>\n
The \"intensive\" search of Tommy's residence by drilling
\nthrough to the underground bunker carried out by Jakarta Police
\nofficers drew much attention. Many praised the \"serious\" action,
\nbut many also ridiculed the action, alleging it was all for show.<\/p>\n
Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman was then Jakarta Police chief when
\nthe aggressive search for Tommy began in January 2001. On May 9,
\nInsp. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb replaced Mulyono. Sofjan started his
\nnotoriety when he hugged Tommy in front of journalists soon after
\nTommy was arrested in November of last year.<\/p>\n
Things became clear on Wednesday. The public realizes that
\nwhat the Jakarta Police did to \"find\" Tommy was a mere charade
\nconducted by high-level officers to fool the public, which really
\nhurts the people's sense of justice.<\/p>\n
The police must clarify their position and respond to Tommy's
\nrevelations, and all parties who knew Tommy's whereabouts during
\nhis escape should demonstrate their gallantry as they all
\nviolated the law.<\/p>\n
Law enforcers, including lawyers, have failed to uphold the
\nreform banner brandished by the people, who long for good
\ngovernance.<\/p>\n
Tommy's latest revelations are a blatant mockery of our
\njudicial system, and are further proof that the law enforcers
\ncontinue with their tricks to fool the people for their own
\ninterests. The law really has become a commodity in this country.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/blatant-mockery-of-justice-1447893297",
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