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)