Marzuki wants two more weeks to arrest Tommy
JAKARTA (JP): After two weeks of futile hunt for fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman requested on Saturday two more weeks to capture the youngest son of former president Soeharto.
Marzuki said President Abdurrahman Wahid had asked him and National Police Chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro to go on with the search for the country's most wanted man.
"I'm the person who is very disappointed (with Tommy still eluding capture)," Marzuki said after meeting with the President at the State Palace.
It was the President's first meeting with Marzuki and Bimantoro since his arrival from overseas. Marzuki arrived after Bimantoro.
Presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar said on Friday that Abdurrahman "was very upset" by the inability of the law enforcement apparatus to bring in Tommy, as Hutomo is widely known, and put him behind bars.
Wimar ruled out any possibility of dismissal of Marzuki and Bimantoro despite their failure, but said the two would be subject to an evaluation.
Tommy's disappearance is proving to be a major embarrassment for Abdurrahman's crisis-ridden 13-month-old administration. It came to power on promises of eliminating corruption and establishing the rule of the law only to be bogged down in scandal and mismanagement.
Later on Saturday, Marzuki also held talks with Wimar. But there were no details of the meeting.
Bimantoro briefed the President about the plan to question Soeharto's family in connection with the police's search for Tommy.
"I was asked to expedite the search for Tommy as much as possible," Bimantoro said of the content of his meeting.
Tommy, a multi billionaire businessman, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail on corruption charges stemming from a 1995 land swap deal with the State Logistic Agency (Bulog). The deal caused the state some Rp 76.7 billion in losses.
He has been on the run since Nov. 3, the day after Abdurrahman refused to grant him a pardon.
Tommy's home on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta was seized on Tuesday by prosecutors in a move to secure the fugitive's private assets. He was ordered by the Supreme Court on Sept. 22 to repay some Rp 30.6 billion.
Bimantoro said on Saturday two sisters of Tommy, Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, known as Tutut, and Siti Hutami Adiningsih or Mamiek, would be questioned by police on Monday.
"Mamiek in particular will be questioned for possession of illegal weapons," Bimantoro told reporters.
Tommy's lawyer Nudirman Munir has been questioned due to the fact his client has gone missing.
Police have also summoned Tommy's wife Ardhia Pramesti Rigita Cahyani, or Tata, for questioning on Monday. Tata had failed to meet a previous summons on Thursday. (jun)