Syafiuddin knew his life was in danger

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita felt in danger after handing down a guilty verdict on Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra in a graft case two years ago, a witness testified on Wednesday.

"My life is hanging in the balance," witness Untung Surapati quoted the late Syafiuddin as saying.

Untung was a close friend of Syafiuddin as well as a cousin of Syafiuddin's second wife Iwah Setyawati. He was testifying against Tommy, the alleged mastermind behind Syafiuddin's murder, at the Central Jakarta District Court.

Syafiuddin, who sentenced Tommy to 18 months in jail in September 2000, became suspicious when he discovered that Iwah had suddenly found enough money to buy a villa, an apartment and two cars.

His suspicion, however, turned to horror after he learned from Untung that before he handed down the guilty verdict, Iwah had met Tommy's elder sister, Siti Hediati Harijadi alias Titiek Prabowo, and Tommy's younger sister, Siti Hutami Endang Adiningsih alias Mamiek, according to the witness.

"I told him that Titiek Prabowo and Mamiek had met her several times. I suggested that he find out what was going on himself," he told the court.

After Syafiuddin checked with Iwah, he confided in Untung that he felt threatened and was afraid that he would be shot.

Untung said that Syafiuddin became more afraid after Tommy, accompanied by his lawyer Elza Syarief and several other people, met him in October 2000 in Iwah's house in Cipayung, East Jakarta. At the time, Tommy asked Syafiuddin why he had handed down a guilty verdict. Tommy said to Syafiuddin, "Sir, if someone is nice, I can be nicer, but if someone is mean, I can be even meaner," according to Untung.

Another witness, Yopi P. Darmono, who was also Syafiuddin's friend, told the court that Syafiuddin had complained that Iwah often tried to influence him in deciding cases.

Tommy is currently on trial for allegedly masterminding the murder of Syafiuddin in July last year, the illegal possession of weapons and firearms in the Cemara Apartments, Central Jakarta, and in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta, as well as fleeing from justice.

Earlier in the day, a police officer, Adj. Comr. F. Danang Dwi Kartiko, testified that Tommy's accomplice Dodi Hardjito had said that one of the weapons found in Tommy's rented house on Jl. Alam Segar, Pondok Indah, had been used to shoot a judge to death.

Danang was part of the team that raided the rented house in August last year to search for Tommy. He was also the one who arrested Tommy in a house on Jl. Maleo, Bintaro, Tangerang, in November last year.

"This one, the Baretta pistol, was used to kill the judge, according to Dodi," Danang said.