Police to question Tommy's lawyers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said
\non Saturday that Hutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala Putra's defense lawyers
\nwould be questioned on Monday in connection with their client's
\nwhereabouts.<\/p>\n
\"Police will summon Tommy's lawyers on Monday. They will be
\nquizzed, among other things, over whether they intend not to hand
\nTommy over,\" Bimantoro told journalists after seeing off
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid who headed for the summit of the
\nOrganization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Doha, Qatar.<\/p>\n
The defense team of the youngest son of former president
\nSoeharto maintained last week that they would not surrender their
\nclient unless the prosecutors gave them certified copies of the
\npresidential decree which rejected Tommy's plea for pardon.<\/p>\n
However, when the prosecutors eventually sent the certified
\ncopies, Tommy went into hiding and the lawyers claim not to know
\nhis whereabouts.<\/p>\n
Later, they said Tommy would only present himself for
\nexecution of his sentence if the government could provide a
\nsecurity guarantee while serving his term in the Cipinang
\npenitentiary.<\/p>\n
The defense lawyers are Tommy's racing buddy Bob R.E.
\nNasution, L.L.M. Samosir, Nudirman Munir and Erman Umar. The
\nlatter however, resigned after Tommy disregarded his advice to
\nsurrender.<\/p>\n
On Friday evening, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said his
\noffice, in cooperation with the police, would question those who
\nwere thought to know Tommy's whereabouts, including his lawyers
\nand family.<\/p>\n
He said that all places believed to be Tommy's old haunts were
\nunder police surveillance.<\/p>\n
The police have widened their search worldwide with the help
\nof Interpol days after Tommy was declared fugitive on Nov. 3. The
\nsearch so far has been fruitless.<\/p>\n
\"I will do whatever is necessary to get him,\" Bimantoro said
\non Saturday.<\/p>\n
Bimantoro, once adjutant to Tommy's father, has called on
\nTommy to surrender himself.<\/p>\n
Tommy and his business associate, Ricardo Gelael, were
\nsentenced by the Supreme Court to 18 months in prison for causing
\nlosses to the state of some Rp 76.7 billion losses in the 1995
\nland swap scam with the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).<\/p>\n
The verdict which was issued on Sept. 22 overturned the South
\nJakarta District Court's decision which exonerated the two of all
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
Ricardo surrendered himself to the prosecutors last Friday to
\nstart serving his jail term.<\/p>\n
Erman Umar, who is also lawyer for the suspects in the East
\nTimor human rights abuse case, has announced his withdrawal from
\nTommy's defense team.<\/p>\n
\"I tendered my resignation on Nov. 8 to be effective if Tommy
\nremained missing for another two days. I am officially no longer
\nhis lawyer from this morning onward,\" he told The Jakarta Post on
\nSaturday.<\/p>\n
He said that his colleagues did not mind his resignation and
\nadded that some of them might follow suit.<\/p>\n
Despite his previous position on Tommy's defense team, Erman
\npledged cooperation with the police and prosecutors to find
\nTommy.<\/p>\n
\"If I am summoned for questioning, I'm ready to tell the
\npolice all I know about Tommy. I still have the moral obligation
\nto do so although I'm no longer his lawyer,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Nudirman also expressed his willingness to face the inquiry as
\nhe has nothing to worry about.<\/p>\n
\"I have never tried to prevent the authorities from arresting
\nTommy. I know I'm not guilty for all I have done was in
\naccordance with the law. If I said I don't know where Tommy is, I
\nhave told you the truth.<\/p>\n
\"Moreover, if the authorities fail to reach a consent with
\nTommy for the incarceration or they are unable to find my client,
\nthat is not my business...mine only deals with legal matters,\" he
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
Nudirman admitted that the last time he saw Tommy was when
\nthey waited until 3 a.m. on Nov. 3 for the certified copy of the
\npresidential decree rejecting Tommy's appeal.<\/p>\n
He also said he respected Erman's decision to quit the team.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, our duties automatically ended since the pardon was
\nrejected. But if Erman also quits from our efforts for a review
\ninto Tommy's case then it's his decision,\" Nudirman said.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf said the
\nsummons for questioning the lawyers had not been issued since the
\nAttorney General's Office had not officially requested it. (bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-to-question-tommys-lawyers-1447893297",
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