I'm sure Tommy still in Indonesia: Police

JAKARTA (JP): National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said on Monday that he didn't know the whereabouts of Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, but was sure that the fugitive son of former President Soeharto was still in the country.

"I swear I don't know Tommy's whereabouts, but I'm sure that he's still here. If he's abroad, it will be even easier to arrest him," Bimantoro said during a hearing with the House of Representatives Commission I for political, security and foreign affairs.

Monday's hearing was the first for Bimantoro since he was installed to replace Gen. Rusdihardjo on Sept. 23. The House earlier rejected the appointment of the police chief, saying that it needed the prior approval of the House as stipulated in People's Consultative Assembly Decree No. VII/2000.

The House eventually accepted his appointment last week after Abdurrahman sent a letter asking for the House's approval.

The four-star general admitted that it was difficult to arrest Tommy due to his enormous wealth, an abundance of loyal friends and the still strong influence of his father.

He accused several parties, including Tommy's lawyers, and blamed certain legal procedures for having prevented the police from immediately arresting Tommy immediately after his pardon was rejected by President Abdurrahman Wahid on Nov. 3.

"That's why we questioned his lawyers and relatives," he said.

He claimed that the police had searched 24 houses in Jakarta, 18 houses in Bogor, 11 houses in Yogyakarta and some others in Solo, Central Java, in the search for the owner of the Humpuss business group.

"I'm sure that he will be arrested some day. It's only a little over one month (since the escape)," he said, while adding that the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo AS had promised to help him if any elements of the military were helping to hide Tommy.

Bimantoro said the police would not question the President over his meeting with Tommy at the Hotel Borobudur in Central Jakarta before the latter's escape, saying that the meeting was not relevant to the escape.

Bulog

He also dismissed speculation that the police would question former police chief Rusdihardjo for defaming the President while testifying before a House special committee last week.

"There is no such order from the President," he said.

He declined to comment on Rusdihardjo's testimony, saying that the latter's comments were made during a closed-door meeting of the special committee, which is investigating two financial scandals allegedly linked to Abdurrahman.

Legislator Abdulqadir Djailani of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) faction earlier said that he was told by former Jakarta Military Commander Lt. Gen. A.M. Hendropriyono, who now runs a law firm, that Rusdihardjo was seeking legal assistance.

Separately, three businesspeople, namely Siti Farikha, Aris Junaedi and Masnuh, filed a civil lawsuit on Monday with the Central Jakarta District Court against the House special committee in connection with the scandals.

The plaintiffs' lawyer Sitor Situmorang said none of the special commissions formed by the House were registered with the state secretariat, as required by a 1954 law which stipulates that the establishment of such committees should be listed in the State Gazette.

"The special committee investigating the Bulog scandal and the financial assistance from Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah are illegal, as they have not been listed in the State Gazette, as required by Law No. 6/1954 on the legislature's right of inquiry," Sitor told reporters.

"Our clients demand that the committees pay each of them Rp 1,000,000,001 -- Rp 1 billion for material losses and Rp 1 for subsidiary losses."

The special committee is seeking to question Abdurrahman on the alleged misuse of a Rp 35 billion (US$3.6 million) fund belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) employees' foundation Yanatera and the US$2 million donation from the Brunei Sultan.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman urged the special committee to finalize its work and submit its recommendations to the government as soon as possible in an effort to end the polemic surrounding the Bulog scandal.

"We hope that the committee will soon finish its work and hand over its findings to the government so that the latter can give responses to the House's recommendations," he told journalists at his office.

He said that the special committee could conduct an inquiry into the case in accordance with House procedures.

"However, there should be a clarification made regarding the legality of the committee," he added. (ylt/jun/bby)