Prosecutors unable to detain Elza

Prosecutors unable to detain Elza

JAKARTA: The Jakarta Prosecutors Office failed to detain Elza
Syarief, whose dossiers and evidence for the bribery case in
which she is implicated were submitted by police to the office on
Thursday.

"Due to the suspect's strong arguments, including that she
wouldn't repeat her offense, wouldn't destroy evidence and
wouldn't flee from justice, we consider there is no need for us
to detain her," head of the office Muljohardjo told reporters.

Elza Syarief defended the convict Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala
Putra, the youngest son of former president Soeharto, allegedly
by bribing Rahmat Hidayat and Tatang Somantri, both security
guards at the Cemara Apartment, Menteng, Central Jakarta, to lie
before the court in which Tommy was standing trial for illegal
possession of firearms.

According to Article 21 of the Criminal Code, whoever is
charged with offenses punishable by a custodial sentence of more
than five years, is subject to detention.

For the alleged bribery, Elza could face seven years in prison
according to Articles 242 and 55 of the Criminal Code, besides
Article 2 of Law No. 11/1980 on bribery. --JP