Police summon Gus Dur as witness in extortion case

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police are to question former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid in relation to a Rp 15 billion extortion case involving Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the youngest son of former president Soeharto.

Police said on Thursday that it would summon Abdurrahman, his wife Sinta Nuriyah and his daughter Zannuba "Yenni" Arifah Chafsof for interrogation next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday respectively.

"Police will immediately send the letters to them," Jakarta police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam said.

The suspects in the extortion case are Abdullah Sidiq Muin, the leader of an Attauhid Islamic boarding school in Kediri, East Java and Raden Doddy Sumadi, who is known as a close ally of Abdurrahman.

According to Tommy's lawyer, Elza Syarief, Tommy was asked by both suspects, on behalf of Abdurrahman, to provide the cash in exchange for a presidential pardon.

Anton said Tommy paid the cash on Oct. 19, 2000, at his house on Jl. Cendana, Central Jakarta to Doddy and Sidiq.

Anton said that the Rp 15 billion was reportedly split three equal ways between the Puan Amal Hayati foundation belonging to Sinta Nuriyah, the Attauhid Islamic boarding school, and to finance the handling of Tommy's 18-month jail sentence for the Goro-Bulog land scam.

Legal observers, however, had cautioned earlier that implicating popular figures like Gus Dur might be seen as an attempt by Tommy to derail the criminal investigation against him.

Achmad Ali of the Hassanudin University of Makassar, warned that some claims by Tommy's lawyers could be aimed at distracting public attention.

"The media must stay focused on Tommy's criminal investigation instead of pursuing other cases launched by Tommy's lawyers," Achmad said.

Tommy's lawyers have already proven their competence, including the overturning of Tommy's Goro-Bulog scam conviction.

Tommy refused to attend the police interrogation on Friday, as he was not in good health either "physically" or "spiritually", Elza said.

Elza said Tommy was tired of repeated questions during the interrogations on the murder of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita.

"But, he will be available should the police proceed with examination of other cases," Elza added.