Ari Sigit's house searched during hunt for Tommy

Ari Sigit's house searched during hunt for Tommy

JAKARTA (JP): The city police searched on Monday night the
house of Ari Sigit Soeharto, the grandchild of former president
Soeharto, during hunt for his fugitive uncle, Hutomo "Tommy"
Mandala Putra.

National Police deputy spokesman Edward Aritonang confirmed
that the police had searched Ari's house and taken him to police
headquarters for questioning.

The police were reported to have found a number of illegal
weapons and 70 bullets in Ari's house. He could be arrested for
being in possession of illegal firearms.

Police revealed that 50 of the bullets were manufactured by
the state-owned weaponry manufacturer Pindad, while the rest were
made in the U.S..

Earlier on Monday, Tommy's wife, Ardhia Pramesti Regita
Cahyani alias Tata, was questioned as a witness by police in
connection with the murder of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin
Kartasasmita.

Tata's lawyer M. Assegaf confirmed that the questioning was
based on Article 340 of the Criminal Code on premeditated murder
charges filed against Tommy, the youngest son of former President
Soeharto.

Accompanied by four lawyers, including Assegaf, Tata admitted
to have known the three suspects, identified as Ferry Ukom, Dodi
Hardjito and Dedi Yusuf, who were arrested earlier.

"Tata knew Ferry as a guard in her parent's house while Dedi
and Dodi were her husband's friends," Tata's other lawyer Juan
Felix Tampubolon said.

Juan said that the last time Tata met her husband was before
Tommy was declared a fugitive last year.

Tommy escaped on Nov. 3, 2000, shortly after he was sentenced
to 18-months in jail in a corruption case involving State
Logistics Agency (Bulog) and his firm PT Goro Betara Sakti.

"Tommy contacted her two months ago. But she didn't know his
whereabouts," the lawyer told reporters

Tata, who arrived at the city police headquarters at 8:15 a:m,
was questioned for seven hours.

"I ask the public not to blame Mas Tommy, before he himself
gives clarification. I call on him to provide clarification, ...
to surrender," Tata told reporters after the questioning.

Like Tata, Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
alias Tutut, during police questioning on Friday, also called on
her brother to surrender.

Ferry, Dodi and Dedi were believed to have mapped out
Syafiuddin's residence in Sunter, North Jakarta and his route to
work before he was shot dead by two other suspects, Noval Hadad
and Mulawarman.

In January this year, Noval and Mulawarman were seen guarding
Tata when she was questioned at city police headquarters about
Tommy's whereabouts.

Tata is also scheduled to be questioned at the Central Jakarta
Police precinct on Tuesday related to a suspect, identified as
Hetty Siti Hartika.

Hetty who was arrested on Aug. 4 in Cemara Apartments,
Menteng, Central Jakarta, confessed earlier that she had given a
document on Syafiuddin's murder plan and a bag containing
firearms to Tutut's maid, Iyo.

Tutut and Tommy's other sister, Siti Hediati Hariyadi Prabowo,
and Tata were believed to have known when Hetty delivered the
document to Iyo in Tutut's house near Jl. Cendana, Central
Jakarta.

Besides seizing the documents and the firearms, police
reportedly confiscated jewelry and gold bars worth trillions of
rupiah from Hetty's apartment, believed to be owned by Tommy.
(jun/bnt)