Seek him here, seek him there, seeking Tommy everywhere
Seek him here, seek him there, seeking Tommy everywhere
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Former president Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala
Putra, failed once again to testify at a trial in the Central
Jakarta District Court. And once again the imperturbable judges
gave him more time to decide whether to show up or not.
Tuesday's no-show was the sixth time Tommy failed to turn up
to testify during the trial of the religious leader of an Islamic
boarding school, Abdullah Sidiq Muin, who is on trial for
extorting a total of Rp 15 billion (US$1.76 million) from Tommy.
The prosecutors had earlier received a letter dated Jan. 25
from the warden of Batu Penitentiary on Nusakambangan island,
Cilacap, Central Java -- where Tommy is currently serving out his
time for organizing the murder of a Supreme Court justice --
stating the Tommy would definitely put in an appearance on
Tuesday.
However, another letter, this timed signed by Tommy's lawyer
Elza Syarief, and dated Jan. 26, said that he would not be able
to attend as he was "sick", the same excuse Elza had given to the
judicial panel during the previous hearing on Jan. 13.
Both letters regarding Tommy's appearance were submitted by
prosecutor Yunan Hardjaka to the judicial panel, chaired by Judge
Saparudin Hasibuan, who during the last hearing had vowed to slap
a subpoena on Tommy if he failed to show up again.
Apparently forgetting his own vow, Judge Saparudin then gave
Tomy a further two weeks to put in an appearance. "We will
reconvene to hear Tommy's testimony on Feb. 10," Saparudin said.
The judges also ordered the other key witnesses, including
Tommy's elder sister Siti "Tutut" Hardiyanti Rukmana, to appear
at the Feb. 3 hearing.
Defense lawyer Supriyadi said the court proceedings had been
turned into a farce by blatant irregularities. "Let the public
decide whether this trial is for real," he said after the
hearing.
Tommy's testimony is essential in the trial of Sidiq, known as
a "spiritual mentor" of former president Abdurrahman Wahid, or
Gus Dur as he is familiarly known, who, it is alleged, promised
to get Tommy a presidential pardon after he was sentenced to 18
months in jail for graft in 2000.