Tommy to be jailed within days, says minister

Tommy to be jailed within days, says minister

JAKARTA (JP): The government said on Thursday that former
president Soeharto's youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra
would begin serving his jail term within days.

Tommy was sentenced by the Supreme Court to an 18-month jail
term for corruption in a 1995 land exchange deal between
wholesale firm PT Goro Batara Sakti and the State Logistics
Agency (Bulog).

"The (Supreme Court) decision will be executed within one or
two days by the Attorney General's office," Minister of Justice
and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra told journalists prior to a
Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Meanwhile, head of the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office
Antasari Azhar said Tommy would be sent to jail on Monday, unless
he filed an appeal for clemency with the President.

"The Supreme Court's verdict will be read at the South Jakarta
District Court on Monday," Antasari said, explaining that his
office had summoned Tommy to appear at the district court for the
reading.

"And if he accepts the verdict and does not seek clemency, he
will be sent directly to jail."

Antasari said that should Tommy file an appeal for clemency,
he must also file a request for the postponement of the execution
of the Supreme Court judgment.

"The sentence will be executed immediately, if he fails to
file the appeal within 14 days," he said.

Separately, spokesman for the Attorney General's Office Yushar
Yahya said on Thursday that the defendant had to submit a written
statement that he agrees to the judgment issued by the Supreme
Court, before requesting presidential clemency.

"He must agree in writing that he has committed a crime and
that he is sorry. He has to sign that agreement ... only then can
he request presidential clemency," Yushar told The Jakarta Post.

But Yusril said the request for a review of the case would not
delay Tommy's arrest and detention.

"Even though he requests a review, that would not prevent his
sentence (from being executed) because it is not a request for a
pardon ... so he has to go in (to jail), there is no compromise,"
Yusril said.

Yusril said he had ordered the Jakarta office of his ministry
and chief of the Cipinang penitentiary to make the necessary
arrangements for Tommy's detention.

Y.A. Takasiliang, head of the Cipinang penitentiary, said
separately that the penitentiary authorities have prepared a
special cell for Tommy should he be sent to jail on Monday.

"For security reasons, Tommy will be placed in a special cell
by himself," Takasiliang said in a televised interview on private
television station SCTV.

The Supreme Court ruling overturned the verdicts of the South
Jakarta District Court which acquitted Tommy and his business
associate Ricardo Gelael of corruption charges linked to the land
exchange deal.

Tommy and Ricardo were accused of jointly causing losses to
the state of Rp 95.4 billion (US$ 11.2 million) through the land
swap.

Both men were sentenced to 18 months and ordered to pay fines
and compensation to the state.

Tommy was ordered to pay the state Rp 30.6 billion for losses
incurred. The amount was higher than the amount asked by
prosecutor Fachmi of Rp 28 billion. Ricardo was ordered to pay Rp
7.6 billion to the state for his part in the tainted deal.

Tommy's lawyers said they planned to call for the case to be
reviewed, saying such a move would delay any arrest.

However, Attorney General Marzuki Darusman said later in the
day that his office would execute the verdict.

The Supreme Court sent the verdict on Wednesday to the South
Jakarta District Court, which has to send copies to the
prosecutor and the defendant.

Marzuki said after the weekly Cabinet meeting that Tommy would
be given three days to present himself to the jail.

"Today, a summons has been handed by the prosecutor's office
to the concerned, and within three days, the Supreme Court
verdict should be executed."

"If the concerned does not come on Monday, then we will go to
Tommy's residence and then we will take him to jail," Marzuki
said.

The charges arose from the construction of a Goro wholesale
building on prime state land in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta,
which the two men received from Bulog in exchange for a worthless
swampy plot in Marunda, also in North Jakarta.

Tommy, like his five siblings, is a wealthy businessman. He
will be the first member of the Soeharto family to be put behind
bars. (byg/ylt/imn)