Tight security planned for Tommy's trial on March 20<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The murder trial of former president Soeharto's youngest son,
\nHutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala Putra, is scheduled to begin on March 20
\nat the Central Jakarta District Court amid tight security.<\/p>\n
Court spokesman Judge Andi Samsan Nganro said that the trial
\nwould be handled by a panel of judges chaired by Amiruddin
\nZakaria, with the members being I Ketut Gede and Andi himself.<\/p>\n
\"We have requested that the police provide security for
\nTommy's trial,\" Andi told reporters on Monday.<\/p>\n
The same panel of judges is currently trying Tommy's aides,
\nNoval Hadad and R. Maulawarman, alias Molla, who are charged in
\nthe murder case of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin
\nKartasasmita.<\/p>\n
Tommy, 40, is believed to have masterminded the murder of
\nSyafiuddin, one of the judges who sentenced him to 18 months in
\njail for corruption.<\/p>\n
Many believe that the trial will be a test case for reform of
\nthe country's legal system. Soeharto has been charged with graft
\nbefore, but the South Jakarta District Court later ruled that he
\nwas too ill to stand trial.<\/p>\n
Amiruddin is the judge who sentenced Endin Wahyudin, a witness
\nwho reported a bribery scandal in the Supreme Court, to three
\nmonths in jail for defaming two Supreme Court justices.<\/p>\n
He had also ordered former president Abdurrahman Wahid to pay
\na fine of Rp 500 million to the former secretary general of the
\nForestry Ministry, Suripto, in a defamation case.<\/p>\n
His colleague, Andi, sentenced four Papuan university students
\nto nearly four months' imprisonment each for disturbing the peace
\nat an anti-government rally last year -- instead of toppling the
\ngovernment, as accused by prosecutors.<\/p>\n
Andi had ruled in favor of 43 slum residents -- and against
\nthe Central Jakarta municipality and state-owned railway company
\nPT KAI -- for failing to evict and relocate the shanty residents
\n\"professionally.\"<\/p>\n
The government appointed Andi, who had written legal articles
\nin several local magazines and newspapers, as one of ad hoc
\njudges to try human rights cases.<\/p>\n
Ketut ruled in favor of 17 journalists of Moneter Indonesia
\nnewspaper who sued their employer, PT Grafika Medialoka Press, in
\na labor dispute.<\/p>\n
Tommy is accused of masterminding the murder of Syafiuddin,
\nwho was shot to death on July 26 of last year before he was in
\npolice custody.<\/p>\n
He escaped on Nov. 4, 2000, however, after then-president
\nAbdurrahman Wahid turned down his request for a presidential
\npardon, and was arrested again a year later.<\/p>\n
Tommy will also be charged with illegal possession of
\nammunition and firearms, and for fleeing arrest.<\/p>\n
Police officials had earlier accused him of plotting a series
\nof bombings in the capital and other cities in the country, but
\nlater dropped the charges due to the lack of evidence.<\/p>\n
Tommy has been held at the Cipinang Penitentiary in East
\nJakarta since Feb. 20.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tight-security-planned-for-tommys-trial-on-march-20-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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