Police to name suspects in Tommy's escape
Police to name suspects in Tommy's escape
JAKARTA (JP): National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Saleh Saaf
said on Thursday the police would soon name three people believed
to have helped Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra escape justice.
"There are three people we can declare suspects, but we will
gather more information and evidence from witnesses to build up
the cases against them," Saleh said at National Police
Headquarters.
The officer refused to give any hints about the identities of
the three. "We will not reveal their identities yet, because if
we do they will prepare some excuse or alibi to defend
themselves."
He also refused to say if the three had already been
questioned by the police over Tommy's disappearance.
Saleh only said the three suspects would be charged under
articles 221 and 216 of the Criminal Code for harboring a
fugitive and for obstructing a police investigation,
respectively.
Tommy's siblings -- sisters Siti Hardijanti Rukmana, Siti
Hediati Hariyadi Prabowo and Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih, and
brothers Bambang Trihatmodjo and Sigit Hardjojudanto -- have been
questioned by police over Tommy's whereabouts.
Tommy's wife Ardhia Pramesti Rigita Cahyani and father-in-law
Bambang Sucahyo Ajie Suryobandoro also were questioned.
Police also questioned Tommy's lawyers -- Elza Syarif, Bob
R.E. Nasution and Nudirman Munir -- and former lawyer Erman Umar
over their client's disappearance.
All of those questioned insisted they had no knowledge of
Tommy's whereabouts.
Police earlier said Tommy's family, also known as the Cendana
family for the name of the street in Central Jakarta where most
of them reside, were lying when they claimed not to know where
Tommy was hiding.
However, citing Article 221, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code,
police have said Tommy's family, including his wife, cannot be
prosecuted for protecting Tommy even if they know his
whereabouts.
Elza, who also represents Tommy's father-in-law, said when
contacted by The Jakarta Post on Thursday it was impossible for
her client, Bambang Sucahyo, to be named a suspect in the case.
"There is no single piece of evidence which can be used
against (Bambang Sucahyo) in Tommy's disappearance," Elza said,
adding that she had not spoken with Tommy since Nov. 2, when he
disappeared.
Tommy was sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Supreme
Court on Sept. 22, 2000, in connection with a 1995 land swap deal
involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and Tommy's company
PT Goro Batara Sakti. The deal caused Rp 76.7 billion (US$8.07
million) in losses to the state.
Tommy disappeared shortly after President Abdurrahman Wahid
formally rejected his pardon petition on Nov. 2.(jaw)