Bring Tommy's case to MPR's annual session: PDI Perjuangan

Bring Tommy's case to MPR's annual session: PDI Perjuangan

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
faction at the House of Representatives urged the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) to assess the Supreme Court's
controversial decision on Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, who had
been convicted of graft charges, during its annual session next
month.

"In the meeting, the assembly should ask the court to examine
the ruling. Even though the decision appears to be in compliance
with existing laws, it has definitely betrayed the people's sense
of justice," the faction spokesman, Teras Narang, told reporters
on Monday.

He contended that such a decision, which exonerated Tommy from
corruption charges, had disappointed the general public.

"Whatever legal decision is taken in the future would not be
trusted by the people," he added.

Teras said that his faction had also urged Chief Justice Bagir
Manan to appeal to the President to dismiss the three justices on
the court's panel, who overturned their colleagues' earlier
verdict to impose a prison sentence on the fugitive son of former
ruler Soeharto.

The faction's chairman, Arifin Panigoro, said the call for the
dismissal of the justices would be made at the annual session.

"Anything is possible at the meeting," he said without
elaborating.

Arifin refused to comment on whether there was a possibility
of political conspiracy behind the move of exonerating Tommy.

"I don't want to make speculations," he said.

Separately, the South Jakarta Prosecutors' Office decided on
Monday to give more time for Tommy, who has been on the run for
the last 11 months, to appear to sign notification accepting the
Supreme Court's ruling.

Tommy's lawyer Nudirman Munir said he did not know the reason
why his client had failed to fulfill the office's summons on
Monday because there was no way for him to ensure that Tommy had
received the summons or to confirm his appearance.

"He only contacts his elder sisters if he needs something. And
it's a one-way communication. If he doesn't call, then we cannot
reach him.

"I don't know when Tommy will show up but hopefully he can get
back all his civil rights by the end of this month," he told The
Jakarta Post.

The state prosecutors have seized Tommy's assets and
properties as collateral for the latter's obligation to recover
the state losses he was alleged to have caused in a land swap
deal with the National Logistics Agency (Bulog) in 1995.

Head of the South Jakarta Prosecutors' office Antasari Azhar,
the executor of the case, said that should Tommy fail to answer
the summons for the third time, his conviction would continue to
stand and his properties would be handed over to the state.

He said the second summons had been sent which required Tommy
to show up on Friday.

Meanwhile, the immigration office warned the Attorney
General's Office on Monday that Tommy's one-year overseas travel
ban was due to expire on Tuesday.