Seek him here, seek him there, seeking Tommy everywhere<\/p>\n
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Former president Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala
\nPutra, failed once again to testify at a trial in the Central
\nJakarta District Court. And once again the imperturbable judges
\ngave him more time to decide whether to show up or not.<\/p>\n
Tuesday's no-show was the sixth time Tommy failed to turn up
\nto testify during the trial of the religious leader of an Islamic
\nboarding school, Abdullah Sidiq Muin, who is on trial for
\nextorting a total of Rp 15 billion (US$1.76 million) from Tommy.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors had earlier received a letter dated Jan. 25
\nfrom the warden of Batu Penitentiary on Nusakambangan island,
\nCilacap, Central Java -- where Tommy is currently serving out his
\ntime for organizing the murder of a Supreme Court justice --
\nstating the Tommy would definitely put in an appearance on
\nTuesday.<\/p>\n
However, another letter, this timed signed by Tommy's lawyer
\nElza Syarief, and dated Jan. 26, said that he would not be able
\nto attend as he was \"sick\", the same excuse Elza had given to the
\njudicial panel during the previous hearing on Jan. 13.<\/p>\n
Both letters regarding Tommy's appearance were submitted by
\nprosecutor Yunan Hardjaka to the judicial panel, chaired by Judge
\nSaparudin Hasibuan, who during the last hearing had vowed to slap
\na subpoena on Tommy if he failed to show up again.<\/p>\n
Apparently forgetting his own vow, Judge Saparudin then gave
\nTomy a further two weeks to put in an appearance. \"We will
\nreconvene to hear Tommy's testimony on Feb. 10,\" Saparudin said.<\/p>\n
The judges also ordered the other key witnesses, including
\nTommy's elder sister Siti \"Tutut\" Hardiyanti Rukmana, to appear
\nat the Feb. 3 hearing.<\/p>\n
Defense lawyer Supriyadi said the court proceedings had been
\nturned into a farce by blatant irregularities. \"Let the public
\ndecide whether this trial is for real,\" he said after the
\nhearing.<\/p>\n
Tommy's testimony is essential in the trial of Sidiq, known as
\na \"spiritual mentor\" of former president Abdurrahman Wahid, or
\nGus Dur as he is familiarly known, who, it is alleged, promised
\nto get Tommy a presidential pardon after he was sentenced to 18
\nmonths in jail for graft in 2000.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/seek-him-here-seek-him-there-seeking-tommy-everywhere-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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