Former first lady grilled in extortion case<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former first lady Sinta Nuriyah Abdurrahman Wahid was
\ninterrogated by police on Tuesday over allegations that her
\nfoundation received Rp 15 billion (US$1.46 million) of money
\nextorted from Hutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala Putra.<\/p>\n
After a two-and-a-half hours of questioning Sinta bitterly
\ndismissed the accusation.<\/p>\n
Sinta arrived in her wheelchair at 10 a.m., accompanied by her
\nlawyer, Luhut P. Pangaribuan and former president Abdurrahman's
\nspokesmen Adhie Massardi.<\/p>\n
The questioning was led by Jakarta's chief detective for
\neconomy Adj. Sr. Com. Benni Mokalo who asked her 12 questions in
\nrelation to the accusations.<\/p>\n
Benni told The Jakarta Post that Sinta had been cooperative
\nand that her answers were comprehensive. He refused to elaborate.<\/p>\n
At the press conference after the questioning, Sinta said that
\nher arrival at the Jakarta Police Headquarters was part of her
\nobligation as a good citizen and that she respected the due
\nprocess of law.<\/p>\n
Sinta also clarified that her foundation's name was Puan Amal
\nHayat and not the Sinta Nuriah foundation as claimed by Raden
\nDodi Sumadi.<\/p>\n
Dodi was the alleged middle man that brought Tommy Soeharto
\nand former president Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid together to
\ndiscuss a presidential pardon for Tommy.<\/p>\n
Tommy is now detained by the police after he was arrested last
\nmonth at the end of a year on the run as a fugitive. He is facing
\nnumerous charges including the killing of Justice M. Syafiuddin
\nKartasasmita.<\/p>\n
Sinta also dismissed allegations that she was acquainted to
\nDodi and said that she had never received any donation or gift
\nfrom him.<\/p>\n
\"I have never received any donation or gift whatsoever from
\nTommy or Dodi,\" she said.<\/p>\n
She said the accusation had tarnished the reputation of her
\nfamily and foundation and would sue Tommy's lawyer, Elza Syarief,
\nand the former city police chief, Sofjan Jakob over the claims.<\/p>\n
She said she would demand Rp 100 million (about US$10,000) for
\nmaterial losses and an as yet unspecified amount for immaterial
\nlosses.<\/p>\n
The questioning of Sinta was part of the police's probe into
\nclaims by Tommy that Gus Dur allegedly extorted money from him in
\nreturn for a presidential pardon.<\/p>\n
The police will also summon Gus Dur and his daughter Zannuba
\n\"Yenni\" Arifah Chafsoh Rahman for questioning this week.<\/p>\n
The police have so far made Abdullah Sidiq Muin, the leader of
\nthe Attauhid Islamic boarding school in Kediri, and Raden Dodi
\nSumadi suspects in the extortion case.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-first-lady-grilled-in-extortion-case-1447893297",
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