'Tommy funded rallies against Gus Dur'

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A company owned by defendant Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra had spent more than Rp 11 billion (US$1.27 million) to finance several rallies against then president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid after he rejected Tommy's request for a presidential pardon in a corruption case, a witness said on Wednesday.

Dion Hardi, who had earlier ignored the summons twice, told the Central Jakarta District Court that PT Mampang Nugraha Prima (MNP) began to disburse the money after the rejection on Nov. 2, 2000.

He tried to protect Tommy by saying that it was his own idea to hold the rallies.

"I paid protesters for the rallies because I don't like Gus Dur; he had hurt Mas (older brother) Tommy," he said.

Dion serves as MNP director and owns only 5 percent shares while Tommy, the youngest son of former president Soeharto, is the commissioner and owns the rest of the shares.

When asked if Tommy knew about the disbursement, Dion replied, "I did it ... err ... I gave the bookkeeping to the late Wiyono, Mas Tommy's man."

Wiyono was a retired Army officer, who was arrested on Aug. 10, 2001, in connection with the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition that allegedly belonged to Tommy in Cemara Apartments in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

He worked for the apartment, which is owned by the Soeharto family. He died on Aug. 29, 2001 while under detention at Jakarta Police Headquarters.

The police said Wiyono died of a heart attack but media reports alleged that he was poisoned.

Dion also testified that MNP had paid over Rp 1 billion for various purposes, including to pay lawyer Elza Syarief and to pay Tommy's bodyguard Ferry Hukom, who is serving a 14-month prison term for forging documents for Tommy.

Tommy did not reject Dion's testimony.

"Yes, I received the report (about the disbursement of the fund for the rallies) but I haven't read the details. I left it in Dody's car," he said, referring to his accomplice Dody Hardjito, who was sentenced to four years in jail for assisting him while he was on the run and for the murder of Supreme Court Judge M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita.

Syafiuddin was a member of a panel of judges who sentenced Tommy to 18 months in prison for a corruption case. He was shot to death, allegedly masterminded by Tommy, on July 26, 2001.

Prosecutors Fachmi and Ahmad Zainuri also testified against Tommy, saying he had fled when they attempted to serve the court's decision after his request of a presidential pardon was rejected.

"He had given us trouble in serving the decision of the court because Tommy's lawyers, Nudirman Munir, Bob R. E. Nasution and Elza Syarief, had promised us he would serve the sentence," Fachmi said.

But Tommy rejected his statement, "I didn't escape, I only avoided the sentence."

Tommy, who was declared a fugitive on Nov. 4, 2000, was arrested in Bintaro, Tangerang, on Nov. 28, 2001.