Police skeptical about plan to hand over Tommy

JAKARTA (JP): Police were skeptical over the possibility that former President Soeharto's fugitive son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra would surrender or that the Soeharto family would hand over the fugitive to police, the main suspect in a Supreme Court justice's murder, an officer said on Sunday.

"Too much evidence indicates that Tommy was behind the murder. So, we are skeptical that he would surrender or his family would hand him over," city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam told The Jakarta Post.

He said that some suspects who had been arrested and confessed to the murder of the Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita on July 26, were acting on orders from Tommy.

"Police will continue to track down Tommy although the family have promised to try to hand over the fugitive. So far, we have yet to make any deal about the hand over plan," he said.

City police chief Insp. Gen. Sofjan Jacoeb admitted on Friday that the Soeharto family had discussed Tommy's possible surrender with their team of lawyers.

Tommy's lawyer Juan Felix Tampubolon revealed that the family and the lawyers planned to discuss some technical aspects of the plan to surrender Tommy.

"The family plan to hand over Tommy. We were assigned to arrange the technical aspects of the plan," Juan said.

Tommy's eldest sister Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, also known as Tutut, who was questioned by police last week, said that her brother planned to surrender and provide clarification.

Tommy, according to Tutut, called her two days before the questioning, claiming that he knew nothing about the murder.

Police have also questioned Tommy's wife Ardhia Pramesti Regita and Tommy's other sisters, Siti Hediati Prabowo and Siti Hutami Endang Hadiningsih, over his whereabouts.

Many believe the family know of Tommy's whereabouts although they deny it. Tommy reportedly met Tutut during her birthday on July 7, this year.

Some lawyers have stated that the police have the legal right to arrest Tutut and the other members of the Soeharto family for hiding Tommy because he is a fugitive.

However, according to Article 221 (b) of the Criminal Code, the family could not be charged with harboring a suspect.

Tommy is still at large since he disappeared in November last year after he was sentenced to 18 months in jail for corruption involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and his firm PT Goro Batara Sakti.

Last Tuesday the police detained Tommy's nephew Ari Haryo Wibowo or Ari Sigit for firearm possession. (jun)