Court set to decide Tommy's fate today

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Today could be the most crucial moment in the history of law enforcement in the country as the Central Jakarta District Court is scheduled to deliver a verdict in the trial of the youngest son of former president Soeharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

Tommy, 40, is charged with masterminding the murder of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita. The millionaire playboy also faces charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as well as fleeing justice.

The legal battle between the state and Tommy began on March 20 this year, which would have been unthinkable prior to the downfall of his father in 1998 after ruling the country for 32 years with an iron fist.

Tommy is the first Soeharto family member to be put on trial even though many believe the family was mired in corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN). Soeharto had been charged with corruption involving Rp 1.4 trillion and US$416 million, but in September 2000 the South Jakarta District Court declared him too ill to stand trial.

Prosecutors demanded last week that the court sentence Tommy to 15 years in prison, which drew criticism as the sentence recommendation was considered too lenient and an affront to the public's sense of justice.

The sentence request was made despite prosecutors claiming that the defendant was guilty beyond any reasonable doubt, and despite the fact that the first three charges carry a maximum penalty of death.

Prosecutors said Tommy hired hitmen, R. Maulawarman alias Molla and Noval Hadad, to assassinate Syafiuddin last year.

Syafiuddin, who sentenced Tommy to 18 months in prison in 2000 for corruption, was shot dead while on his way to work by two armed men on motorbikes on July 27 last year.

Tommy fled from the law after then president Abdurrahman Wahid rejected his plea for a presidential pardon in November 2000. He was captured in a house in Bintaro, Tangerang, 25 kilometers from the heart of the city, after a year-long manhunt.

In February this year, judges Amiruddin Zakaria, I Ketut Gede and Andi Samsan Nganro of the same court sentenced both Molla and Noval to life imprisonment for Syafiuddin's murder. Prosecutors had only asked for a 14-year jail term for each man.

The three judges, along with Herri Swantoro and Pramodana K. Kusumah Atmadja, are handling Tommy's case.

The judges can ignore the sentence recommendation submitted by chief prosecutor Hasan Madani. They may impose a stiffer or lighter sentence.

The judges admit that Tommy's case is different to any other case they have handled.

"I haven't slept well since the case began," Judge Ketut said.

Both Ketut and Amiruddin said that handling Tommy's case was tiring.

Andi said Tommy's case was the hardest he had ever handled.

"Personally, Tommy's case alone is harder than three human rights cases together," said Andi, who also tries high-profile human rights cases in the country.

Andi, who is the court spokesman, said the court was ready to present its verdict on Friday.

"We reached a verdict based on the facts in the hearings. But we also took into consideration the public's expectation of justice as well as our belief of whether or not the defendant is guilty," he said in his office.