Police hope to wrap up Elza's bribery case soon
Police hope to wrap up Elza's bribery case soon
Leo Wahyudi S, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police officials have vowed to finalize the dossier on Elza
Syarief, the lawyer for Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, within 20
days, City Police spokesman, S. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said on
Tuesday.
"We have 20 days to complete the dossier and hand it over to
the prosecutor's office," Anton said.
But he noted that if they failed to get it done within that
period, they would, "ask for an extension of Elza's detention for
40 more days," Anton added.
After questioning the lawyer, who is suspected of bribing
witnesses, for ten hours on Monday, the police put Elza into
custody at the Jakarta Police Headquarters under tight security.
The investigators charged Elza with violating Article 242 of
the Criminal Code on giving false testimony under oath and
Article 2 of the law No. 11/1980 on bribery, which respectively
carry a maximum penalty of seven years and five years in prison.
According to Anton, the detention of the lawyer of former
president Soeharto's youngest son was based on article 20 and 21
of the Criminal Code Procedures on detention.
Investigators firmly believe that Elza had bribed Rahmat and
Tatang -- two witnesses in Tommy's case on illegal possession of
weapons -- to retract their earlier statements they had given to
police, wherein they asserted that Tommy illegally possessed
firearms.
"So, due to our evidence, we will hold her in custody for
further investigation," he added.
However, her lawyers and family submitted on Tuesday a letter
to the City Police asking for her release, saying that they could
guarantee her complete cooperation throughout the investigation.
"We have already given the letter to the police," Elza's
husband Rear Adm. Yuswaji said here on Tuesday after visiting her
at the cell.
Elza's top lawyer T. Gayus Lumbuun expressed his objection to
his client's detention.
Yuswaji also said that his wife was not guilty because she
only gave the witnesses "presents", and that she liked to help
other people.
Anton acknowledged that it was a lawyer's right to request a
client's release, but the decision ultimately would be for the
police investigation team to make.