Police make yet another futile search for Tommy

JAKARTA (JP): In another attempt to find former president Soeharto's son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the Jakarta Police searched 58 locations in the capital on Wednesday, including 18 in areas around Jl. Cendana in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

"We have found nothing so far," Jakarta Police chief of detectives High Comr. Harry Montolalu told reporters on Wednesday afternoon.

During the search which began at 9 a.m., every room in Soeharto's residence on Jl. Cendana No. 8, as well as in the residences of his children Siti Hardijanti "Tutut" Rukmana, Sigit Hardjojudanto, Siti Hutami "Mamiek" Endang Adiningsih, and Tommy was looked into.

"We also searched the houses of Soeharto's friends, Soedwikatmono and Setiawan Djody, but found nothing as well."

Using a geo-radar device, officers from the National Police Forensics Laboratory scanned the compounds of the residences, including the roads outside the residences, in search of the rumored bunker in which Tommy was supposedly hiding in.

A Soeharto family lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon said he had no objections to the search.

"It's fine. Although the search for the bunker was not in the warrant, the family wants to cooperate fully with police."

Harry said the results of the search would be revealed soon.

Separately, Soeharto's aide Anton Tabah said on Wednesday that since his disappearance, Tommy had never contacted his father.

"His father had enquired about Tommy. We told him that Tommy was out of town. Since then, his father has never asked for him. Pak Harto never repeats a question... he's like a king during the olden days. A question once answered, won't be asked again," Anton told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

Tommy, a 38-year-old businessman, has been on the run for two months since being sentenced to 18 months in jail for corruption.

Similar searches were made in Surakarta, Central Java, but to no avail.

The police also searched the residences of former coordinating minister for defense and security Gen. (ret) Wiranto, chief of the Pemuda Pancasila youth organization, Yapto Soerjosoemarno, and the residences of Tommy's family members.

The search began at about 5 p.m. and lasted for an hour.

A house suspected to be owned by Tommy's wife, Ardhia Pramesti Regita "Tata" Cahyani on Jl. Nusa Indah 30, also in Surakarta was also searched.

That too turned out to be futile. (ylt)