Gus Dur asks for delay in summons

Former president Abdurrahman Wahid canceled his plan to fulfill a summons by Jakarta Police for questioning on Monday and asked for it to be postponed, his lawyer said.

Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan said, as quoted by news portal Detikcom, that his client would participate in a more urgent political meeting with several senior clerics in Tuban, East Java.

"But he (Abdurrahman) will surely meet the summons if it can be rescheduled," Luhut said, adding that Gus Dur preferred it to be on Friday.

Abdurrahman was summoned as a witness in relation to an investigation into a Rp 20 billion blackmail allegedly committed by Dodi Sumadi on the youngest son of former president Soeharto, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

Dodi reportedly arranged a meeting between Abdurrahman and Tommy, who had been sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment by the Supreme Court.

Unlike Abdurrahman, his wife Sinta Nuriyah and eldest daughter Alissa Qottrunada will report to police headquarters for questioning respectively on Tuesday and Wednesday. --JP