Tommy denied pardon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid refused on Thursday
\nto pardon former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo \"Tommy\"
\nMandala Putra, and officials said Tommy would be taken by force
\nif he refused to begin serving his 18-month jail term for
\ncorruption on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"Today a presidential decree was signed... the President has
\ndeclined the request for a pardon which was submitted by Hutomo
\nMandala Putra and Ricardo Gelael,\" presidential spokesman Wimar
\nWitoelar said during a media conference.<\/p>\n
Wimar said the execution of the 18-month jail term handed down
\nin September by the Supreme Court would be carried out by the
\nSouth Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.<\/p>\n
When asked when Tommy would be sent to jail, Wimar said: \"That
\ndepends on the attorney general... (but) on behalf of the
\nPresident, I can say that Tommy Soeharto is going to jail.\"<\/p>\n
The head of the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, Antasari
\nAzhar, said later in the day a copy of the decree had been
\nreceived by his office.<\/p>\n
\"Today (Thursday), the prosecutor's office will send a summons
\nto Tommy for the execution (of his sentence) tomorrow (Friday)
\nafter Friday prayer,\" Antasari said.<\/p>\n
If Tommy does not surrender to authorities he will be taken
\n\"by force, in a professional way\", Antasari said without
\nelaborating.<\/p>\n
One of Tommy's lawyers, Nudirman Munir, accused the
\nauthorities of ignoring legal procedures in their rush to send
\nhis client to jail, a move he said was premature.<\/p>\n
\"We might file a request with the Supreme Court for another
\ndelay of the execution (of the sentence),\" Nudirman said.<\/p>\n
However, the secretary-general of the Supreme Court, Pranowo,
\ndismissed this possibility, saying the President's decision was
\nfinal.<\/p>\n
Tommy and his business partner Ricardo were each sentenced to
\n18 months in jail in late September, when the Supreme Court
\noverturned two lower court verdicts and found them guilty of
\ncausing Rp 76.7 billion in losses to the state.<\/p>\n
They were found guilty of swapping a tract of swampy land for
\nprime real estate belonging to the State Logistics Agency in
\norder to build a superstore.<\/p>\n
Both men have remained free since the Supreme Court's ruling,
\nbut while Ricardo sought only a presidential pardon, Tommy asked
\nfor both a presidential pardon and a judicial review of the case.<\/p>\n
He had been given until Thursday to surrender to prosecutors
\nand be jailed pending the outcome of the review.<\/p>\n
But Tommy failed to show up at the prosecutor's office because
\nhe was awaiting a decision on his pardon plea, his lawyer Erman
\nUmar said.<\/p>\n
According to the law, a request for a presidential pardon
\nforces a stay of execution of a sentence until a decision is
\nissued.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza
\nMahendra stated his office had recommended that Abdurrahman
\nformally decline Tommy clemency, saying he saw no reason for the
\nPresident to grant a pardon.<\/p>\n
He also criticized Tommy for failing to show remorse for his
\nactions, appealing both for Abdurrahman's mercy and for a
\njudicial review of his case.<\/p>\n
\"This is a corruption case that must be responded to properly
\nbecause the concerned party does not regret his actions,
\nevidenced by his appeal for clemency while simultaneously
\nappealing for a (judicial) review,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, an official at Cipinang Penitentiary told The
\nJakarta Post on Thursday afternoon staff members there had
\nprepared a cell for Tommy several days ago.<\/p>\n
If jailed, Tommy will be the first member of the former first
\nfamily to be put behind bars, a development made possible by his
\nfather's stepping down from the presidency following mass
\ndemonstrations in May 1998.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court's director for criminal cases, Djoko
\nSarwoko, said Tommy and Ricardo's clemency appeals were given
\nspecial attention, leapfrogging 47 other appeals waiting to be
\nheard.<\/p>\n
\"The Supreme Court made the two pleas (by Hutomo and Ricardo)
\na top priority because they involve a special corruption case,\"
\nDjoko said. (bby\/byg\/ylt)<\/p>",
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