Gus Dur-Tommy deal

Gus Dur-Tommy deal

From Rakyat Merdeka

On Aug. 2, 2001 private TV station Indosiar broadcasted an exclusive interview with Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid by the Voice of America (VOA). The most important thing to note from this interview is Gus Dur's statement that before he left for the United States, one of Tommy's (former president Soeharto's youngest son) men came to see him, asking him to review the ruling of the Supreme Court about the sentence passed on Tommy. Gus Dur said that he rejected the request because he was no longer president. The following day, a Supreme Court justice was murdered. In the interview Gus Dur also touched on his meeting with Tommy at Borobudur Hotel in which he said that Tommy asked him to do something about the appeal he had filed with the Supreme Court.

Then, before the Supreme Court issued its ruling on the appeal filed by Tommy, Gus Dur and his men had "secret meetings" with Tommy at Borobudur Hotel and The Regent Hotel ("neatly" prepared by both parties). After Tommy became a fugitive, one of his elder sisters, Ibu Titiek Prabowo, when questioned about Tommy, told a number of journalists to contact Gus Dur directly about Tommy's affairs. We have also learned that shortly after Gus Dur was ousted from the presidency, he was still contacted by some of Tommy's men.

Therefore, to free Gus Dur from defamation (suspicion) that has been building up against him, it is only proper that relevant legal bodies should take a serious look into this matter.

AHMAD HIDAYAT

Jakarta