State prosecutor team for Tommy's trial strengthened

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

State prosecutors handling the Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra murder trial switched gears on Wednesday, adding two more people to strengthen their three-member team.

But even with the new show of force, it remains to be seen just how effective the prosecutors' role in the battle will be.

As the Central Jakarta District Court opened its fourth hearing for Tommy -- held at the Jakarta Fair Grounds in Kemayoran -- chief prosecutor Hasan Madani announced the new arrangement, which includes Hasan Madani, Andi Walinga, Firdaus Dewilmar, Lukimanto, and Wahyudi.

Formerly, the team consisted of Andi Rahman Asbar as the chief, with Lukimanto and Hasan as members.

During the first and the second hearings, Andi did not present witnesses with questions that seemed to substantiate the charges -- nor did he raise any objections to any of the questions or motions from the defense team.

During the third hearing it was Hasan, instead of Andi, who questioned the witnesses. Hasan had aggressively asked Tommy's alleged, perhaps? accomplice, Hetty Siti Hartika, manager of Cemara Apartment, and her maid Sainah, about Tommy's involvement in the illegal possession of firearms which were found in the apartment.

The apartment belongs to the Soeharto family.

Tommy is facing four charges: ordering the murder of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who had sentenced him to jail for graft; illegal possession of firearms and ammunition in Cemara Apartments, and in Pondok Indah; and fleeing from law enforcement authorities.

If found guilty, there is a possibility he will face the death penalty.

Tommy's defense team consists of attorneys Elza Syarief, Juan Felix Tampubolon, Indriyanto Seno Adjie, Wimboyono Seno Adjie, M. Assegaf, and OC Kaligis.

These lawyers have a favorite question which they repeatedly put to witnesses who take the stand: Was the statement you made the result of police coercion?

So far, all witnesses believed to have connections to Tommy -- whether as accomplices or employees -- have withdrawn their statements from the police dossiers which implicated the 40-year- old, known for his taste in fancy cars.

On Wednesday, four witnesses who work at the Cemara Apartments each claimed that they had never signed any police statement.

"This is not my signature. I've never signed this ... " said one witness, Laimin, who has worked as a security guard at the apartment since 1995.

But he was at a loss for words when the court discovered that the signature on his ID card was different from the one he made before the panel of judges.

Laimin answered the lawyer's questions fluidly, as if he had memorized his testimony in advance. But there were times when he sounded as if he was groping for answers to questions from the prosecution.

Tommy's sister Siti Hutami "Mamiek" Endang Adiningsih, was also summoned as a witness. But, reportedly as a result of ill health, could not make it to the hearing.

Clad resplendently in his favorite batik cloth, Tommy looked relaxed as always. In a new sign of confidence, he fielded several questions from reporters outside.

"This trial is just a conspiracy," he said disdainfully at the afternoon break. "Just look at the witnesses who recanted their statements."

During the hearing, which started 9 a.m. and ended at 6:30 p.m., presiding judge Amiruddin Zakaria looked somewhat more preoccupied with the court's microphones than questioning the witnesses about Tommy's guilt or innocence.

About once every hour, he disrupted testimony by openly complaining about the microphones, which were not working well.

"Please, put the microphone before the witness properly ... apparently, the microphones are not functioning today," he asked court officers on more than one occasion.

Amiruddin also ordered prosecutors to present defendants to testify on the charges involving illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and on Syafiuddin's murder -- even though prosecutors have yet to present all the witnesses for the charges of illegal possession of firearms found in the Cemara Apartments.

"I ordered you to present the other defendants next week for other charges ... so that the hearings (next week) would not be boring," Amiruddin said.