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.