Juan refuses to answer questions over bunker

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon refused on Monday to answer police questions over his alleged role in obstructing their efforts to locate an underground bunker in the house of the fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.

"I showed up to show my good will... the rest, my colleague, will elaborate," Juan, a suspect in the case, told reporters, while pointing at lawyer Petrus Bala Pattyona.

Lawyer to Tommy's wife, Ardhia Pramesti "Tata" Regita Cahyani, Juan Felix left city police headquarters after four hours of interrogation, which started at 10 a.m.

Tata, the other suspect scheduled to appear on Monday for allegedly misleading the police over the bunker, has yet to return from Singapore and according to Juan, is expected to arrive sometime later this week.

Petrus told reporters that Juan did not answer the 30 questions, based on his belief that the case concerned professional ethics, not a crime.

"The questions included, if it was true that on Jan. 15 Juan Felix was on Jl. Cendana and asked police officers if they had a court order to dig up the floors of Tommy's residence," Petrus said.

Tommy's lawyer, Elza Syarief, who was also questioned on Monday, said she understood why the police grilled Juan.

"He's Tata's lawyer, and not Tommy's. The police probably felt that he had no legal right to raise the question of a court order, as he is not even Tommy's lawyer," Elza told reporters.

Harry Montolalu from the police earlier said that those summoned would be questioned under Article 216 of the Criminal Code for obstructing the police in the performance of their duties, an offense which carries a maximum jail term of four months and two weeks.

Representing 129 of their colleagues, 49 prominent lawyers arrived at city police headquarters to express their support for Juan.

The lawyers present included Trimedya Panjaitan, and former president Soeharto's lawyers Mohammad Assegaf, Otto Cornelius Kaligis and Denny Kailimang. Juan is also one of the former president's lawyers.

Trimedya told reporters that Juan had explained what really happened on Jan. 15 on Jl. Cendana, to the lawyers defending him.

"He told us that the police only had a search warrant, and nothing that gave them the right to dig up the floors of Tommy's residence. Juan therefore asked if they had a court order to dig up the floors," Trimedya said.

"While digging up the floors, the police sent their officers to court to obtain an order authorizing this, but the court refused to issue it, saying that a search warrant was enough.

"Juan believes, and we believe him too, that since he only spoke to them about a court order, without taking any action, and as the police had already dug up the floors anyway, there should be no fuss over this matter."

Lawyer Denny Kailimang said the police should have first forwarded the case to the Indonesian Advocates Association (AAI), the Honorary Council for Ethics in the Legal Profession or the Indonesian Bar Association (Ikadin).

"This is a case for Ikadin or the AAI, not the police. Ikadin or the AAI or the Honorary Council will impose heavier punishments if they find a lawyer guilty of violating the law, the heaviest of which is the revocation of his or her license," Denny said. (ylt)