Gus Dur may be quizzed over search for Tommy

JAKARTA (JP): National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro implied on Thursday that former president Abdurrahman Wahid would be summoned for questioning in connection with the police's efforts to hunt down the fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

"Principally, we have the duty to question anybody and to search any place that could shed light on the case," Bimantoro told reporters when asked whether the police would summon Abdurrahman, or Gus Dur as he is familiarly known, for questioning as he admitted to having met Tommy before the latter went on the run.

Bimantoro was speaking to reporters after attending a closed hearing with the members of the House of Representatives' Commission II for legal and home affairs.

Asked what the main problem was in tracking down Tommy, Bimantoro simply said, "We have one big problem, we don't know exactly where Tommy is."

Gus Dur has acknowledged holding a secret meeting with Tommy at the luxury Borobudur Hotel, Central Jakarta, in October last year, but dismissed speculation that he made any deals to review the 18-month jail sentence handed down on Tommy.

Tommy, the youngest son of former president Soeharto and convicted in a corruption case, has been on the run since Nov. 3, the day after Gus Dur refused to grant him a presidential pardon.

Earlier this month, police declared that Tommy was the main suspect behind the murder of Supreme Court justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who sentenced him to jail.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Bimantoro, Commission II chairman Amin Arjoso said the House respected, supported and trusted the National Police in their efforts to locate Tommy. (emf)