Piles of criminal cases await Tommy

Piles of criminal cases await Tommy

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

How the authorities deal with the subsequent legal processing
of captured Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra will, of course, depend
on the ability of the National Police to obtain evidence of some
of his crimes.

Two legal practitioners, Todung Mulya Lubis and Bambang
Widjojanto, see no reason for Tommy to be freed, despite the
recent Supreme Court review verdict that exonerated him of
corruption, as there are other criminal cases linked to him.

They said Tommy's move to defy the 18-month jail sentence was
contempt of court, and therefore, the police should use this as
the first charge on which to hold the outlaw.

"Tommy's move to defy imprisonment and go on the run should
not be ignored without further penalty," Todung, director of the
Jakarta Lawyers Club, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday evening.

Tommy has been on the run since Nov. 3, 2000 after he escaped
serving 18 months' imprisonment for corruption.

Todung emphasized that the police should also find evidence of
Tommy's alleged involvement in a number of criminal cases,
including the murder of Justice Syafiuddin Kartasasmita and
illegal ownership of firearms.

Syafiuddin was the judge who sent him to jail.

The police also accused Tommy of having a role in a spate of
bombings after they mounted raids in July on two Jakarta
residences allegedly used by him. Police said they found weapons
and explosives caches there.

According to Todung, Tommy could no longer be prosecuted for
corruption in the land swap case involving his company Goro
Batara Sakti and the State Logistics Agency because the Supreme
Court had exonerated him on Oct. 1, regardless of whether it was
controversial or not.

Meanwhile, Bambang Widjojanto from the Indonesian Legal Aid
Foundation (YLBHI), warned that the National Police should not
allow Tommy any special privileges, otherwise the long-time
fugitive might have an opportunity to escape again.

Bambang also called on the National Police to disclose the
network that had protected the youngest son of former president
Soeharto.

He speculated that the arrest of Tommy might possibly have
been prompted by the disappointment of the police over a deal
with the fugitive.

"Consequently, the police should also investigate anyone
involved in any (possible) deal," Bambang said.