Tommy threatened Syafiuddin: Witness
Tommy threatened Syafiuddin: Witness
JAKARTA: Former president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo
"Tommy" Mandala Putra had threatened the late Supreme Justice M.
Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, according to witness' testimony on
Monday.
Witness Yopi Prayogo Darmono, a car vendor, said Syafiuddin
met Tommy at his second wife's house, Iwah, in Cipayung, East
Jakarta to discuss Tommy's case.
"If someone is good to me, I'll be good to him but if he is
not then I won't," Yopi quoted Tommy as saying before the hearing
at the Central Jakarta District Court.
Another witness, Untung Surapati, who is a cousin of Iwah,
told the court he had heard Syafiuddin express several times that
he feared he would be murdered after he served on the panel of
judges which sentenced Tommy to 18 months imprisonment for graft
in October 2000.
"The late Syafiuddin asked me once how his wife was able to
buy a brand new Volkswagen," Untung said, pointing to the German
car which cost hundreds of million rupiah.
Yopi and Untung testified on Monday at the hearing of
defendants Noval Hadad and R. Maulawarman who are being tried for
the murder of Syafiuddin last year, which was allegedly
masterminded by Tommy. -- JP
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ANPAj..r..
Greater-Kramat Jati-vendors
JP/6/GREAT
Angry crowd blocks Jl. Raya Bogor
JAKARTA: Around 500 people, wearing black uniforms on which
were printed the letters BPPKBB (Banten people's organization for
the development of their potential), blocked Jl. Raya Bogor in
front of Kramat Jati wholesale market in East Jakarta on Monday.
The angry crowd carried sharp weapons, including bamboo spears
and daggers. During the blockade they also destroyed wooden
tables used by street vendors to display their merchandise.
The chaotic incident was triggered by vendors from a certain
ethnic group who had clashed with other vendors from Banten on
Sunday evening. The clash eventually continued on Monday.
Jl. Raya Bogor was blocked from Cililitan intersection to
Kramatjati Indah Plaza for a length of 8.75 kilometers. All
shops, including the Ramayana department store in the upper floor
of the market, were shut, while street vendors opted to go home.
Due to the extensive congestion, the police were forced to divert
traffic in other directions.
Four trucks of policemen were deployed to the site. They at
last managed to disperse the crowd after firing three warning
shots, according to Chief Brig. Siswanto from Kramatjati police
precint.
No casualties were reported but the tense situation continued
until the afternoon. -- JP
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Greater-Tangerang-Thai
JP/6/GREAT
Life sentence sought for Thai girl
TANGERANG: A prosecutor asked the Tangerang District Court on
Monday to jail a Thai woman for life for allegedly attempting to
smuggle 850 grams of heroin into Indonesia from Thailand.
Prosecutor Hasran Harahap asked that Nonthanam M. Saichon, a
21-year-old masseuse, be jailed for life as she was guilty of
shipping the drug from Bangkok last year.
Hasran said the defendant had ignored a government campaign to
fight drug abuse, and could ruin the lives of many Indonesians.
The defendant told the court that she had accepted an offer to
smuggle the drug because she needed money to pay for medical
treatment for her sick parents.
The defendant apologized to the Indonesian people and begged
the judges to give her a light sentence.
Nonthanam was arrested minutes after she arrived at Soekarno-
Hatta International Airport from Bangkok on Sept. 1, 2001.
Customs officers became suspicious as she looked nervous. They
later found the drug in her underwear.
The court adjourned the session until March 6 when defense
lawyer Husin Tuhuteru will present his arguments.
Over the past two years, the district court has sentenced 16
people to death for smuggling, including one person found in
possession of 450 grams of heroin. --JP