Tommy review to begin on Wednesday<\/p>\n
Agus Maryono and Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Cilacap\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Cilacap District Court has responded swiftly to a review
\nrequest filed by convicted criminal Hutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala Putra
\nby setting the first day of hearing for Wednesday, barely one
\nweek after the news of the petition broke in the press.<\/p>\n
Cilacap District Court President Sugeng Ahmad Judhi said on
\nSaturday that the judges would hear Tommy's explanations on the
\nreview and examine new evidence before passing the case on to the
\nSupreme Court.<\/p>\n
\"If there is new evidence, we will swear in the witnesses,\"
\nSugeng said.<\/p>\n
Tommy, the youngest son of former president Soeharto, is
\ncurrently serving a 15-year jail sentence at the Batu
\nPenitentiary on Nusakambangan island, Central Java, which is
\nunder the jurisdiction of the Cilacap District Court, for
\nordering the killing of Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita in 2001.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta District Court spokesman Judge Andi Samsan
\nNganro said last Thursday that Tommy had filed for a review of
\nhis 15 years' sentence. He did not reveal when Tommy or his
\nlawyers submitted the petition.<\/p>\n
There is no special time frame for judges to hear a review
\nrequest, but the country's courts are notorious for their
\nsluggishness in handling law cases.<\/p>\n
Sugeng said the hearing would be held in his court at the
\nrequest of the Central Jakarta District Court, which convicted
\nTommy in August 2002. Tommy did not appeal the verdict.<\/p>\n
Andi said the decision was also due to security reasons
\nresulting from Tommy's past record as a fugitive.<\/p>\n
Topo Santoso, a law expert from the University of Indonesia,
\nsaid on Sunday it was possible to move the hearing from the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court to the Cilacap District Court.<\/p>\n
\"The most important thing is that the new evidence can be
\npresented to the court ...\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Judge Andi, Tommy's lawyers have new evidence to
\npresent to the court. He, however, did not reveal what this might
\nbe.<\/p>\n
The Attorney General's Office had appointed Prosecutor Hasan
\nMadani to challenge Tommy's request for a judicial review.<\/p>\n
Legal observers have warned of flaws in the Tommy verdict that
\ncould lead to the Supreme Court overturning it.<\/p>\n
One of the loopholes was the fact that police failed to secure
\na court warrant before seizing firearms and ammunition believed
\nto belong to Tommy at different locations.<\/p>\n
Under the prevailing law, evidence is inadmissible if it is
\nobtained without a warrant.<\/p>\n
Legal experts also said that Tommy's absence during the
\ndelivery of the verdict was another mistake that might influence
\nthe ruling on appeal, or serve as a tactic to gain time for
\n\"negotiations\" that could lead to the verdict's annulment.<\/p>\n
The Central Jakarta District Court delivered the verdict in
\nthe absence of the defendant, who claimed to have diarrhea which
\nhis doctors said was the result of stress.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tommy-review-to-begin-on-wednesday-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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