Elza admits giving Rp 5.8m to guards

Elza admits giving Rp 5.8m to guards

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra's lawyer, Elza Syarief, admitted on
Saturday in front of a lawyers' ethics committee that she gave Rp
5.8 million (US$621.60) to two witnesses in her client's case to
withdraw their statements made earlier to city police.

The Indonesian Advocates and Lawyers Association (HAPI) head
of the fact-finding team, Salikin, said earlier that Elza gave
only Rp 1 million each to witnesses Rahmat Hidayat and Tatang
Somantri, who worked at the Cemara Apartment in Menteng, Central
Jakarta, as security guards.

On the second day of the ethics hearing, she also admitted
giving cash to other witnesses, including Cemara Apartment
staffers Marvin Hukom and Beni M. Robani.

"I gave them all Rp 5.8 million, including Rp 3 million to
Marvin to rent a car and Rp 1 million each for Tatang and Rachmat
to buy decent clothes and shoes," Elza told ethics committee
chairman Yan Apul Girsang, who was once tried for giving false
information before a notary public in Surabaya.

"I gave them money for humanity reasons. I often saw them wear
rough sandals," said Elza, the HAPI deputy general secretary,
referring to Rahmat and Tatang.

The hearing has turned into a side-show to Tommy's trial and
took place at the four-star Sahid Jaya Hotel ballroom in Central
Jakarta.

Both Rahmat and Tatang, who are currently in police detention,
told the police that Elza gave them Rp 2 million before they
testified in court on April 10.

In return, Rahmat said, they denied the signatures on police
statements were theirs. They also told the Central Jakarta
District Court that the police had tortured them during
questioning.

Several witnesses confirmed that Elza had asked for Rp 5.8
million from the Bakti Putra Bangsa Foundation, which manages the
apartment, where the police found ammunition and firearms
reportedly belonging to Tommy.

Tommy chaired the foundation before shifting the post to his
wife, Ardhia Pramesti Regita Cahyani, in January 2001.

The foundation's secretary, Bramantyo, claimed at the hearing
that Elza had requested money for various purposes, including the
purchase of decent clothes for Tatang and Rahmat and for
transportation costs to attend Tommy's trial at the Jakarta
Fairground.

Should Elza be found guilty of a serious violation of the
ethics code, HAPI will dismiss her from the association and
suggest the Jakarta High Court withdraw her lawyer's license. But
if her actions are deemed a light violation, Elza will only be
given a warning.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as Elza begged the ethics
committee to "protect her".

Many suspect that the hearing is only a smoke screen to divert
people's attention from Tommy's trial as well as to avoid her
being summoned as a bribery suspect on Monday by city police.