Bomb suspect apologizes to Tommy
JAKARTA (JP): Bomb suspect Elize Maria Tuwahatu apologized on Wednesday to the youngest son of former president Soeharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, for dragging his name into her case.
She also expressed forgiveness for the person who led police to her. "I have forgiven the man who said Tommy gave me the bombs," she said from a cell in the East Jakarta District Court, where her case is being heard.
Elize was arrested in the parking lot of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah on Jan. 19 this year in the possession of three bombs. She told police she received the bombs from Tommy.
She later retracted her statement, saying she was given the bombs by a man who resembled Tommy and claimed to be the former president's son.
The arrest of Elize, who described herself as Tommy's spiritual adviser, was made possible by a tip from psychic Agung Yulianto, known as Ki Joko Bodo.
He told police Elize had approached him about planting the bombs. According to Ki Joko Bodo, the bombs were meant to kill Attorney General Marzuki Darusman and Minister of Industry and Trade Luhut Panjaitan.
Tommy, who was convicted and sentenced to prison for his part in a land scam, is at large.
Prosecutor Surung Aritonang told the court last week that Elize had violated the 1951 Emergency Law, which outlaws the possession of explosives. The violation carries a maximum penalty of death.
The court was scheduled on Wednesday to hear the defense's response to the indictment, but the session was adjourned for a week because the head of the defense team was ill.
In the East Jakarta District Court, the trial of bombing suspect Iswadi H. Jamil continued on Wednesday. The suspect is being tried for his alleged role in last year's bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange building, which claimed 10 lives.
The suspect is charged with providing information on where to obtain trinitrotoluene (TNT) to a member of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad), Second Corp. Ibrahim Hassan, and for assembling the bombs.
The two men, among eight suspects in the bombing, are also facing trial in the South Jakarta District Court for allegedly planning the bombing.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Iswadi's lawyers filed an objection to the prosecutor's indictment.
The defense lawyers, from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association, asked why Iswadi was being tried in two locations, the East Jakarta District Court and the South Jakarta District Court.
Iswadi also read a statement during the session, saying it was illogical to believe that he would have better access to explosive devices than a military officer.
The defense lawyers also told the court their client was tortured and forced to make statements by police investigators, and was often not allowed to have a lawyer present during questioning.
"The court should throw out the indictment and declare it unlawful because the defendant's human rights were violated during the investigation," defense lawyer Erick S. Paat said. (bby)