Central bank freezes Tommy's bank accounts

Central bank freezes Tommy's bank accounts

JAKARTA (JP): The central bank has frozen fugitive Hutomo
"Tommy" Mandala Putra's accounts at Bank Central Asia, Bank
Mandiri and Bank Panin, an official said on Monday.

The spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Moeljohardjo,
said the move was effective on Friday.

"Not much was in those accounts. As of now, the central bank
has only been able to locate these three accounts. I have no idea
about any other bank accounts."

He added the central bank had checked 54 foreign and
commercial banks to trace Tommy's accounts.

The 38-year-old billionaire businessman and youngest son of
former president Soeharto has been on the run since last
November, when the Supreme Court sentenced him to 18 months in
prison for graft.

The public has accused the authorities of being less than
sincere in pursuing this case, pointing out that they failed to
place Tommy in custody before he decided to flee and did not
immediately freeze his bank accounts.

Even after state prosecutors seized Tommy's Central Jakarta
residence, it remained under the watch of the fugitive's
bodyguards and nobody was allowed to enter the residence
when city police officers searched the grounds earlier this
month, discovering an underground bunker.

The police currently are investigating Tommy's wife Ardhia
Pramesti "Tata" Cahyani and lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon on
possible charges of obstructing a police investigation. The pair
had stated that there was no bunker located under Tommy's house.

Tommy and Ricardo Gelael, both executives of wholesale firm PT
Goro Batara Sakti, were convicted of corruption in charges
stemming from a 1995 land exchange deal with the State Logistics
Agency (Bulog).

Under the deal, signed in August 1995, Bulog was to exchange
its 50-hectare warehouse complex in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta,
for a 71-hectare plot of land in Marunda, North Jakarta, to be
provided by Goro.

Goro's demolition of Bulog's 11 warehouses in Kelapa Gading
caused the state Rp 13 billion in total losses. Bulog also
suffered potential losses of Rp 52 billion because it had to
purchase the land in Marunda from Goro.

Another arrest

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police detectives are hunting a man in
connection with three traveler's checks allegedly given by Tommy
to suspect Elize Maria Tuwahatu.

City police detectives' chief of general crimes, Comr. Tito
Karnavian, told The Jakarta Post over the phone on Monday that
the police had identified the person and were expecting to
capture him within 48 hours.

"We know who this person is, and he isn't Tommy. This person
bought the traveler's checks, each worth Rp 25 million, and they
somehow ended up in Elize's hands," Tito said.

Elize was arrested for the possession of three bombs at the
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah recreation park in East Jakarta on
Jan. 19.

During police questioning, she admitted she was acting under
the orders of Tommy, whom she claimed to be her long-time
confidant. She also told police that Tommy provided her with the
checks with which to pay for the bomb blasts.

The bombs, according to Elize, were to be detonated at the
Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and
the Directorate General of Taxation, all of which are located in
South Jakarta.

But, later Elize's lawyer announced that her client had
retracted her earlier testimony.

Toto said it was likely that Tommy had told the man to buy the
cheques for him, and had then handed them over to Elize.

"We'll only know for sure after we arrest and question this
person," Tito said.

When asked if the person had forged Tommy's signature on the
checks, Tito did not comment. (bby/ylt)