Gus Dur grilled over allegations of extortion

Gus Dur grilled over allegations of extortion

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police interrogation of Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra was
overshadowed on Friday by the questioning of Abdurrahman "Gus
Dur" Wahid, following Tommy's claims that he fell victim to an
extortion scheme to win himself a pardon from the former
president.

Gus Dur was questioned as a witness about the suspects, Raden
Dodi Sumadi and Abdullah Sidiq Muin, who allegedly brought Tommy
and Gus Dur together to discuss a possible presidential pardon.

Dodi remains at large.

Gus Dur arrived at 9:40 a.m., accompanied by his lawyer, Luhut
Pangaribuan, and former spokesman Adhie Massardi.

He told reporters after the two-hour examination that he was
was questioned by the police over his presence two years ago at
the Borobudur Hotel and the Regent Hotel, where he was believed
to have met Tommy for the purpose of striking a deal on his case.

He admitted meeting Tommy, but denied ever making any deal.

"I told the investigator that I knew nothing about a deal," he
said. "I did not want to interfere with the Supreme Court's
ruling on Tommy's verdict at that time."

In 1999, the South Jakarta District Court exonerated Tommy, a
defendant in a corruption case, of all charges, but the Supreme
Court sentenced him to 18 months.

Gus Dur later turned down Tommy's request for presidential
pardon. Shortly after that, Tommy was on the run, until he was
arrested in late November last year.

Tommy is now a suspect of the murder of M. Syaifuddin
Kartasasmita, head of the panel of the Supreme Court justices who
found Tommy guilty. Kartasasmita was shot dead on July 26, 2001,
while driving his car on his way to work.

Three people are being tried for their part in the murder,
while Tommy, who has been named a suspect, has not been
prosecuted.

While he was being interrogated by the police, Tommy's lawyer,
Elza Syarief, alleged that the Puan Amal Foundation, chaired by
Gus Dur's wife Sinta Nuriyah received Rp 5 billion, which he paid
as a bribe to win the presidential pardon for his client.

The police questioned Gus Dur's family, but never charged
Tommy with bribery.

Gus Dur said he never knew Raden Dodi Sumadi, but admitted
that he knew Abdullah Sidiq, also known as Kiai Sidiq, the leader
of the Attauhid Islamic boarding school in Kediri.

According to Luhut, his client was questioned about the
meeting at the two hotels and handing out the money amounting to
US$1,700,000, and Rp 5 billion which was claimed by Tommy to be
transferred to Dodi and Sidiq.

Luhut said that the meetings were attended by Siti Hardiyanti
Rukmana, Tommy's elder sister, Tommy and Gus Dur, but not Dodi.

The lawyer believed that Tommy's complaints of extortion was
an attempt to distract the public from his own case.

"There's an indication of the distraction -- currently, the
attention of press has moved from Tommy's case to Gus Dur," he
said.

At 11:15 a.m., Gus Dur's eldest daughter, Alissa Qottrunada
Munawaroh, also arrived at the city police headquarters for
questioning. However, she refused comment.

On Tuesday, Sinta Nuriah told reporters after being questioned
by police officials that neither she, nor her foundation, ever
received money from Dodi.

She threatened to sue Tommy's lawyer and the former city
police chief, Sofjan Jacoeb, over the accusations which, she
said, had tarnished the reputation of her family and her
foundation.