Tommy scolded for slouching in court, told to sit straight

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, who is charged with murder, sat so lazily during the trial at the Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday that the prosecutor asked the judge to order him to sit properly to respect the court.

"Your honor, please warn the defendant to respect the court, he is sitting impolitely," prosecutor Andi Rahman Asbar said.

Tommy, clad in a batik shirt, slouched with his feet extended and head resting on the back of the seat.

"Defendant, please pay attention to the prosecutor's request," presiding judge Amirrudin Zakaria, said.

During the six-hour trial, Tommy even smiled and joked with two of his lawyers, Elza Sjarief and Juan Felix Tambubolon.

Amirrudin never warned Tommy, but he repeatedly warned journalists who stood up and blocked the view of visitors in the packed courtroom. He also had to warn the observers repeatedly to turn off their cellular phones.

Tommy is being tried for allegedly masterminding the murder of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who had sentenced him to 18 months in jail for corruption. He is also charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition as well as flight from justice.

He could face the death penalty if convicted.

But on Wednesday he did not appear worried in the least.

Tommy looked calm when witnesses, Adj. Comr. Eddi Purbo Susianto and Chief Brig. Badrun Simatupang, testified against the defendant.

Both Badrun and Eddi said they, along with several other officers, arrived at Cemara Apartments, which are owned by the Soeharto family, to search for Tommy, who had been on the run for a year.

Instead of finding Tommy, the police found several firearms and a cache of ammunition. They also found many documents, including two weapon licenses bearing Tommy's photographs, issued by the police.

The apartments are managed by Tommy's employee Hetty Siti Hartika, who was sentenced by the same court to four years in jail for the same case earlier.

"I was the one who interrogated her. She told me that those weapons and bullets belonged to Tommy. She also told me that there were several other weapons in the apartment," Badrun said.

Prosecutors displayed four rifles, five guns, ammunition and several documents before the panel of judges.

Tommy himself, with the presiding judge's permission, questioned each witness with confidence.

"Did you check the fingerprints on the weapons with the Crime Laboratory, ehm... (the police) Forensic Laboratory Center?" he asked Eddi.

Eddi said he did not know.

"Did you wear gloves when you picked up the weapons?" Tommy asked again.

"No," Eddi replied.

Although the Criminal Law Procedure allows a defendant to question the witnesses, the court rarely gives the defendant the right.

When judge Amiruddin asked Tommy whether he accepted the witnesses' testimony, Tommy said, "None of the things found in the apartment were mine, except for the documents. But the weapon permits were not mine."

The hearing is set to resume next Wednesday, when the court is scheduled to present Hetty and cross-examine her testimony against Eddi and Badrun's testimony.

On the first hearing last week, Tommy's case was handled by Amirrudin, Andi Samsan Nganro and I Ketut Gede. But on Wednesday, there were two additional judges -- Herri Swantoro and Pramodana K. Kusumah Atmadja.

Soon after he opened the trial, Amiruddin read out the statement signed by the court's chief, Subardi, saying that five judges would be used to try Tommy's case, due to public attention, as they would be able to come to a verdict that was more objective than one made by only three judges.

The addition of judges after a trial has commenced has never occurred in Indonesian courts.