Police return Tommy's cars

JAKARTA: Police have returned six cars belonging to Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra that were seized as evidence during criminal investigations into the former fugitive.

City Police Spokesman, Sr. Cmr. Anton Bachrul Alam, said that the vehicles, which were confiscated by police from an automotive workshop in Kebon Jerok last September, were not related to Tommy's cases.

The vehicles -- a Timor Jeep, a caravan, two golf carts and two Toyota Celica racing cars -- were handed over to Tommy's lawyer, Elza Syarief.

The police raided the workshop last September as part of its efforts to arrest Tommy, who went on the run after the Supreme Court sentenced him to 18 months in jail for corruption in November 2000.

During the raid, the police confiscated 10 cars, but four of them apparently belonged to other customers of the workshop. -- JP