Police search for Tommy focuses on Jakarta, Surabaya

Police search for Tommy focuses on Jakarta, Surabaya

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police's two-month search for
fugitive Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra is now being focused on
Jakarta and the East Java capital of Surabaya.

"I repeat, the National Police has never arrested Tommy to
date. Our sources indicate that Tommy is either in Surabaya or
Jakarta," National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf told
reporters on Tuesday.

The statement comes days after the police denied President
Abdurrahman Wahid's claim that an officer had almost arrested
Tommy in East Java.

"Both Surabaya and Jakarta are top police priorities. The two
cities are currently under police surveillance. Tommy is either
in one of these two cities. We believe and guarantee that he has
not left the country," Saleh said.

When asked why police intelligence officers were taking so
long to locate the fugitive, Saleh said Tommy's wealth had made
him "invincible".

"He's not like your common murderer or thief. This man
probably has banknotes without serial numbers... he's so rich
that nobody wants to turn him in," Saleh said.

"The general public regularly informs the police of the
whereabouts of drug dealers or other criminals, but they have
been totally unsupportive in Tommy's case. Who does not know his
face? Nobody has called in to inform us about his whereabouts."

According to the President, Tommy, the youngest son of former
president Soeharto, "had slipped through the fingers of police in
a small East Java town" several weeks ago.

National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro officially denied
the claim on New Year's Eve, saying no such arrest was ever made.

On rumors that the allegedly failed attempt to arrest Tommy in
East Java was made by former president Soeharto's aide Sr. Supt.
Anton Tabah, Saleh just laughed.

"That's nonsense," Saleh said.

Separately, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman
told reporters on Tuesday that despite rumors of Tommy hiding out
at the residence of former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen.
(ret.) Wiranto, the police had no plans to search Wiranto's
residence.

"The police has no plans to search Wiranto's residence as
yet," Mulyono said without elaborating.

Speaking on Dec. 29 last year in Ciganjur, South Jakarta,
Abdurrahman claimed that Tommy, after being caught, demanded to
meet with the President and indicated that he had incriminating
information on tape, prompting the nervous policeman to telephone
him.

"I said, there is no such tape. Just arrest him. But when the
police went back for Tommy, he was already gone," Abdurrahman
said.

But, he added: "We know where he is. When the time is right,
he will be arrested."

Tommy has been on the run after Abdurrahman refused to give
the 38-year-old businessman a pardon, which could have revoked
the Supreme Court's verdict that sentenced him to 18 months in
jail for corruption.

Before his disappearance, Tommy met with Abdurrahman,
triggering speculation that he had tried to strike a deal to
avoid serving time. Abdurrahman, who has admitted meeting with
Tommy, denied that any agreement was struck. (ylt)