Police grill Tata about why Tommy's bunker was sealed

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives grilled suspect Ardhia Pramesti "Tata" Regita Cahyani, the wife of fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, over why the underground bunker found below her Central Jakarta residence had been sealed.

While Tata's lawyer, Juan Felix Tampubolon, briefed reporters on Tata's police questioning, Tata herself, surrounded by scores of bodyguards, sneaked out of the city police headquarters after four hours of questioning.

"When she was pregnant, she had told her husband that there was a huge hole in the baby's room and that it could be dangerous for the baby. Tata did not explain to police Tommy's response," Juan told reporters.

"When she returned from hospital with the baby, the bunker was already sealed."

The questioning, Juan said, began at about 9:30 a.m. and was focused on whether Tata had purportedly lied about the bunker's existence to stop police from breaking up the floor of her husband's residence on Jl. Cendana in the plush Menteng area.

City police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Harry Montolalu said on Friday that there was a possibility that police would call Tata, for further questioning.

"She may have answered all (29) questions asked by police today (Friday). But, we might call her again," Harry said.

Harry had earlier said that both Juan and Tata were questioned as suspects, under Article 216 of the criminal code for obstructing the police from performing their duties, an offense which carries a maximum jail term of four months and two weeks.

Juan was questioned on Monday, but had refused to answer all 30 questions asked by police, on his alleged role in obstructing police from locating the underground bunker.

Tommy's lawyer, Elza Syarief, who was also questioned on Monday over Juan's issue with the police, said that she saw why police felt the need to question Juan.

"He's Tata's lawyer, and not Tommy's. Police probably felt that he had no legal right to question police on the warrant, when he is not even Tommy's lawyer," Elza told reporters.

Separately, the central Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Lawyers Association (Ikadin) announced its plan to seek Juan Felix's clarification over the matter.

The branch's chairman, John Pieter Nazar, said the association expected Juan to show up next Thursday, where his clarification will be assessed, to decide on whether the lawyer had violated the association's code of ethics.

"Juan was named a suspect, in connection with his profession as a lawyer. We have to hear from Juan first and take the report to Ikadin, before deciding whether to bring him to stand in a code of ethics tribunal," Nazar told a media conference on Friday.

He said that if Juan was found guilty of abusing his profession, then Ikadin would be entitled to ask the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights to sever his license.

"But if he was found committing a crime then it's the police matter," Nazar said.

In an unrelated development, Harry said suspect Elize Maria Tuwahatu alias Baby, 33, who was arrested for possessing three bombs at the Mini Indonesia recreation park last Friday and had told police that Tommy had given her the bombs, is currently not in good physical condition.

"She has some heart problems. Our doctors are looking into her. Don't worry. She'll be fine soon," Harry told reporters.

Harry told reporters earlier that initial physical and mental examinations by city police doctors had shown that Elize, currently held at city police, was in perfect mental and physical health and had nothing to worry about.

Harry even denied statements made by Elize's lawyer M. Bugis, that Elize had retracted her statement about Tommy's involvement in the case and that Tommy had never given Elize the bombs.

"She never retracted her statements," Harry said. (ylt/bby)