Elize handed over to prosecutors with tight escort

JAKARTA (JP): Tight security marked the hand-over of bomb suspect Elize Maria Tuwahatu from the city police to the Jakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday.

At least 20 armed Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police officers in six vehicles provided a security escort for Elize's trip to the prosecutor's office.

Arrested for the possession of three bombs at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah recreation park in East Jakarta on Jan. 19, Elize made headlines when she told police that it was fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra who gave her the bombs.

Elize smilingly said "no comment" to the hordes of reporters, as she got into the police van, on Tuesday afternoon.

She was immediately sandwiched by Brimob officers, who accompanied her to the prosecutor's office.

"We fear her life is in danger, and we absolutely do not want anything to happen to her. Even on her way to the prosecutors office, traffic police will guide the police vans through traffic, so that she reaches there quickly, and safely," city police secretary to chief of detectives, Sr. Comr. Abdullah, told reporters.

Separately, city police detective chief for special crimes Sr. Comr. Winarno said that Elize would be tried according to the "1951 Emergency Law on possession of bombs".

Elize arrived at the prosecutor's office, handcuffed and guarded by police officers, at about 12:30 p.m.

She was officially handed over by Sr. Comr. Winarno to state prosecutors Surung Aritonang and Fachruddin.

Elize, Winarno said, was then escorted by prosecutors to the general crimes division of the Prosecutor's Office, on the fourth floor, where she was questioned by prosecutors.

Evidence handed over on Tuesday to state prosecutors included one Matahari shopping plastic bag, two sticks of TNT, a watch functioning as a switch, a dry cell, at least 15 dynamite sticks weighing 2.1 kilograms, a five-liter can of thinner, two detonators, and steel nails.

Other evidence already handed over to prosecutors are a Timor sedan, a Toyota Kijang van and a Blue Bird taxi.

At about 1:30 p.m., Elize was transported to the Pondok Bambu Women's Penitentiary by a vehicle of the Prosecutor's Office, where she will be held for a period of 20 days, before prosecutors can extend her stay for another 30 days.

The arrest of Elize on Jan. 19 this year was made possible due to telephone calls made to the East Jakarta Police and the Attorney General's Office, by 38-year-old psychic Agung Yulianto, known to his clients as Ki Joko Bodo.

Joko, who Elize learned about from a magazine about mysticism, had reportedly been assigned to plant the bombs by Elize.

Unknown to Elize, Joko contacted police and informed them that Tommy had taken out death contracts for Attorney General Marzuki Darusman and Minister of Industry and Trade Luhut Panjaitan. (ylt)