Marzuki wants two more weeks to arrest Tommy
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)