Court to deliver verdict on Tommy this Friday

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Central Jakarta District Court is expected on Friday to deliver its verdict on Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra over his alleged involvement in the murder last year of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, and other three charges.

Presiding Judge Amiruddin Zakaria announced on Monday that the five judges who had dealt with his cases were ready to deliver their verdict on former president Soeharto's youngest son, who was also facing two charges of illegal possession of firearms and one of escaping from justice.

The first three charges carry a maximum penalty of death. However, chief prosecutor Hasan Madani recommended the court last week jail Tommy for 15 years, despite the prosecution's claim that Tommy had been proven guilty of all charges.

Jakarta Prosecutor's Office chief Muljohardjo claimed, "the sentence recommendation is sufficient for all four charges."

Earlier in the day, Tommy's team of lawyers by turn presented the 267-page defense plea. They accused the police of planting evidence to back up the four charges against their client.

"It is alleged that law enforcers engineered the discovery of weapons and explosives at locations suspected of having links with the defendant, which also happened in the case of the murder of Syafiuddin Kartasasmita," said the defense plea.

They speculated that the police had planted the evidence to boost their own reputation following a failed manhunt for him.

Tommy, the lawyers said, had no motive to order the contract killing of Syafiuddin, who was one of the justices that sentenced him to 18 months in jail for corruption in September 2000.

The lawyers, however, admitted that Tommy and lawyer Elza Syarief, had visited Syafiuddin at his home in Cipayung, East Jakarta "to ask the reason for the conviction and sentence".

At that time he was free, pending his request for a pardon.

Tommy, 40, became a fugitive from justice in November 2000 after he failed to secure a presidential pardon from then president Abdurrahman Wahid. He was captured in November last year following a year-long manhunt.

Lawyer Muhammad Assegaf claimed the charge that Tommy had ordered the killing could not be supported by evidence or testimony in court.

In the counter-argument, which was made in only an hour, prosecutor Hasan strongly rejected Tommy's defense plea.

"It is clear that the defendant attempted to settle his case out of court by visiting the victim. Worse, he was accompanied by a lawyer, who must have told him that it was a big mistake to visit a judge who was handling his case," Hasan said.

Wearing a batik shirt and black pants, Tommy looked calm. He seemed to be busy making notes. He also had a discussion with his lawyers who made his counter-statement against the prosecutors' response, directly in the courtroom.

The Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Tommy's accomplices R. Maulawarman, alias Molla, and Noval Hadad on May 8 to life imprisonment for murdering Syafiuddin.

Earlier, prosecutor Abdul Kamar Badrun had demanded the court sentence the defendants to 14 years in jail.