'Judge killed by gun found at Tommy's hideout'

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Supreme Court Judge M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita was killed by a bullet that came from one of six guns found at a home rented by Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra in Pondok Indah, an expert testified on Wednesday.

"Based on the ballistics tests, we found that several bullets found in the victim's body and at the location where the murder took place came from a nine-millimeter Baretta gun," Lt. Col. Chomsi Syafrian Simin told the court.

The Baretta was found in a home on Jl. Alam Segar, Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, used as a hideout by Tommy to avoid a jail term.

The term was imposed by Judge Syafiuddin who sentenced Tommy to 18-months jail in 2000 for corruption.

"The registration number of the Baretta had been removed, but we could still read it after we treated it with a certain chemical solution," Chomsi said during the trial, presided over by Judge Amiruddin Zakaria.

"The Baretta is commonly used in the military. The police do not use it," Chomsi added.

Syafiuddin was shot to death on his way to his office on July 26, last year. At the time, Tommy was still on the run.

Tommy asked the panel of judges to assign "an independent expert" to reexamine the bullets. The judges refused his request.

The youngest son of former authoritarian president Soeharto is accused of masterminding the assassination of Syafiuddin. He also faces three other charges, namely two counts of illegal possession of weapons and one of fleeing from justice.

If found guilty of the murder and weapon charges, he could be sentenced to death.

Earlier in the day, doctor Abdul Mun'im Idris -- who carried out Syafiuddin's autopsy -- said three shots passed through Syafiuddin's body while the fatal fourth bullet lodged in his head.

"The shooting was at close range, between 50 to 60 centimeters away," Mun'im said.

Tommy allegedly hired two men to kill Syafiuddin. The two gunmen, R. Maulawarman and Noval Hadad, have been sentenced to life in prison.

The defense also presented an expert from the police forensics laboratory and two criminal law experts who will testify next week when the trial resumes.