Tommy spurns bribery/mark-up trial for 7th time
Urip Hudiono The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Though currently in town for a health check-up, convicted felon Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, former president Soeharto's youngest son, managed for the seventh time on the trot to call in sick for a trial in which he has been summoned to present testimony.
He is currently confined to the luxury Kartika Pavilion suites at the Gatot Subroto Army Hospital with an undefined ailment, so the Central Jakarta District Court had to reschedule his testimony on Feb. 16.
"Tommy said he would attend the trial while he was in Jakarta, but during his medical check-up at the hospital, the doctors would not allow him to leave," Tommy's lawyer Elza Syarief told the judges.
The court has been trying to get Tommy to appear at the trial of Islamic boarding school leader Abdullah Sidiq Muin, who is charged with marking up his "fee" to request a pardon on Tommy's behalf from then president Abdurrahman Wahid to Rp 15 billion (US$1.76 billion).
The session was delayed for three hours, pending confirmation on Tommy's attendance.
Tommy was not the only no-show. His eldest sister and current presidential candidate Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana also jilted the judges.
Antara reported that Tutut and Soeharto visited Tommy on Tuesday evening at the hospital under tight security for around two hours. Soeharto has been declared suffering permanent brain damage so that he would not be able to stand trial for accusations of enriching himself, families and cronies by embezzling more than US$600 million.
Tommy's absence brought into question his -- and possibly the court's -- seriousness in prosecuting the case.
Article 159 line 2 of the Criminal Code Procedures authorizes a presiding judge to summon witnesses to the court by force, if necessary, but it does not specify at what point force can be used.
Appearing at the court, Sudiro, Tommy's doctor from Batu Penitentiary on Nusakambangan island in Central Java, explained that his patient had a cocktail of symptoms including, "chest pains, vertigo, dyspepsia and depression".
Tommy is currently serving a 15-year term at the penitentiary for illegal weapons possession and ordering the assassination of Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who in 2000 sentenced him to 18 months in jail in a graft case.
In his bid to get pardoned by President Wahid after that corruption conviction, Tommy paid Rp 15 billion to Raden Dodi Sumadi and Sidiq, a spiritual mentor of Wahid, to get him a presidential pardon.
Meanwhile, back at the Army Hospital, Detikcom reported that Tommy booked four VIP rooms at the Kartika Pavilion -- each for Rp 625,000 (US$74.4) per night.
Sudiro said the hospital had Tommy's complete medical records sent by Tommy's doctors at Karyadi Hospital in Semarang.
"I can't say exactly (when Tommy would be fit to testify) but his treatment here will probably take five to seven days," he said, when asked by presiding judge Saparudin Hasibuan.
Sidiq's lawyer Supriyadi demanded that there be no more delays.
"My client has been ill on several occasions as well, but he's always made the effort to appear," he said.
Sidiq was absent from the Jan. 16 session while being treated at Gambiran Hospital in Kediri, East Java.